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Columbia Implements a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

The columbia City Council unanimously passed a measure creating the EEZ Board.
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The columbia City Council unanimously passed a measure creating the EEZ Board.

Columbia began implementing a prescription drug monitoring program Monday.  The program is designed to reduce “doctor shopping” and prescription drug addiction.  Columbia City Council passed the ordinance to establish this database in early March.

Under the new system, pharmacies are required to track who is picking up prescription and how often they are being filled.  The program specifically tracks narcotics and opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. 

Ann Bromstedt, pharmacist and part owner of Kilgore’s Pharmacy in Columbia, said implementing the program has required education for Kilgore's staff on the new tracking system.

“Basically pharmacists, or even pharmacy technicians, can go in to the database and register as a user, and then that basically allows you to view information on individual patients,” Bromstedt said. 

Bromstedt said the new database will allow pharmacists to look up patient history about what drugs that person may be getting at other pharmacies, the quantities they are receiving, and the date it was filled and where.

Eric Steann, a spokesperson for Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, said it’s important for Columbia to have this program. He cited the fact that Missouri is the only state without a prescription drug monitoring program.

“The drug monitoring program does look at the issue of persons trying to fill multiple prescriptions at multiple providers during a short time frame,” Steann said.

Bromstedt said its important to implement the system because it fills an ethical duty to make sure that people are not abusing the system.

Steann said Boone County Commission voted last week to implement a drug monitoring system.  Its system will also be under the St. Louis Department of Public Health and will become active starting July 1.