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Chair Update
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The PDMP Foundation looks forward to 2021 as a year where the availability of Coronavirus vaccines and continued mitigation methods will help stop the spread of the pandemic. In Florida, healthcare organizations are again beginning to schedule live state conferences with virtual options so that practitioners can access necessary continuing education credits.
In its capacity as the direct support organization for the Department of Health’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (known as E-FORCSE®), the Florida PDMP Foundation, in cooperation with the Department of Health staff, are scheduled to attend the first major conference of the new year when we exhibit at the Florida Podiatric Medical Association’s SAM state convention at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World January 14-16. The PDMP Foundation is also expected to have our booth at the March 10-12 Pinellas County Osteopathic Medical Society’s Winter Seminar at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. The Foundation staff will also be attending the FPMA summer conference June 10-13 at the Hyatt Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, the Florida Dental Convention June 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee and the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants summer conference July 28 – August 1 at the JW Marriott, Marco Island.
The PDMP Foundation produced course “Improving Best Practices for Patient Care: Optimizing the Use of the PDMP Database” is awaiting approval for credit hours before it is offered online through the Florida Medical Association’s website. Hopefully, this should be forthcoming.
The Foundation continues to receive questions about key points in the operation of the state PDMP. These questions are encouraged and are forwarded to the E-FORCSE staff for immediate reply. The most recent questions we received are answered below.
Happy New Year!
[Jill Rosenthal, MD, MPH, MA, FACOEM is the chair of the PDMP Foundation Board of Directors. She is Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Zenith Insurance Co.]
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IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT E-FORCSE®:
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Question: What are some key points in using the PDMP database?
Answer:
• Access the PDMP database to review all patients’ scheduled drug usage even if not planning to prescribe a controlled substance.
• Update PDMP database password every 90 days.
• If dispensing a controlled substance, enter data into system within 24 hours or next business day.
• Review practitioner support manuals and quick reference guides to understand how to research the database for controlled substance information.
• Use Patient Advisory Report and PMP Prescriber Summary.
• Integrate PDMP into Electronic Health Records system.
• Keep current on MME and narcotic overdose risk scores as published in FROST.
• Identify and report patterns of controlled substance fraud and abuse.
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READERS' QUERIES: What's on Your Mind?
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A Dentist Asks: I hold a Florida dental license but practice as a faculty member at the West Virginia University Dental School. Is there anything that I need to do regarding the PDMP Database since I am currently not practicing or writing prescriptions in Florida? I would like to maintain my active Florida license in good standing.
Response: You are not required to take any action related to E-FORCSE if you are not practicing/prescribing in Florida in order to maintain your Florida dental license.
A Physician Asks: I am a pain management physician and a colleague told me that it was illegal to copy and paste a patient’s E-FORCSE record into my EMR, electronic health record, or note. Is that true?
Response: While it is not illegal to copy and paste E-FORCSE information into the medical record, Florida Administrative Code 64K-1.005, Privacy of Controlled Substance Prescription Dispensing Information, provides "To prevent inadvertent release or disclosure of the confidential and exempt information in the database, pharmacists, prescribers and dispensers should avoid downloading and printing information from the database."
If you do choose to store E-FORCSE information in the EMR, please ensure that it is separated such that it will not be released pursuant to a record request as it may not be released to any other individual.
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EDITOR'S MESSAGE
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We are excited for the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine to finalize the credit hours for the online PDMP CME course. This course will feature best practices on using the PDMP database. Live course presentations are scheduled for three statewide conferences in 2021. The course is planned for June 13th at the Florida Podiatric Medical Association summer conference in Bonita Springs; June 24th at the Florida Dental Convention in Kissimmee and at a date to be determined at the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants summer conference July 28 – August 1 in Marco Island. PDMP Foundation chair Dr. Jill Rosenthal; executive director Bob Macdonald; legal counsel Jason Winn, Esq.; and Dr. Joshua Lenchus are scheduled to be presenters.
If you are planning on attending any of these live conferences, I encourage you to add this course to your meeting agenda. The course will provide you with up-to-date information about the basic use of the database; the legal and regulatory requirements for use of the system; the legislative intent of the database and role of the PDMP Foundation. A panel discussion will follow the presentation of the course content so that attendees can address any problem areas they have with the database functionality.
Additional courses are expected to be held in designated pilot counties of Duval, Palm Beach and Broward beginning in the spring or as COVID restrictions on large meetings allow.
If your organization is interested in hosting the peer-to-peer training course please contact the Foundation. The initial presentation at the October 11th Florida Osteopathic Medical Association District 2 Symposium was well received.
[Lee Ann Brown, DO, is board certified in both Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Management. She is first vice president of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association. Dr. Brown is PDMP Foundation secretary and chair of its communications committee.]
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FOUNDATION ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAM UNDERWAY
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The PDMP Foundation Annual Giving Program seeks yearly charitable contributions from supporters to help fund upgrades and enhancements for outreach and educational programs for the state PDMP. Tax-deductible contributions can be made directly to the Foundation on its website at: www.flpdmpfoundation.com/donations/.
Contributions can be made by credit card or by sending a check to: PDMP Foundation, 10801 Starkey Rd., #104-221, Seminole, FL 33777.
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PDMP BOARD MEMBER RECOGNITION:
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 This edition of the PDMP Foundation E-Newsletter recognizes board member Dr. Nomen Azeem, MD. Dr. Azeem, is an Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine Specialist, Board Certified in Interventional Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
He is the Founder and CEO of the Florida Spine & Pain Specialists, the President of the Florida Society of Pain & Neuroscience, Chair of Strategic Development for State Society Engagement and Advocacy of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of South Florida.
Dr. Azeem’s background has helped shape a new approach to treating pain, which includes both patients and their families in developing treatment plans so that everyone involved understands the origin of the patient’s pain as well as their available treatment options.
He currently serves as chair of the PDMP Foundation Education Committee. The committee was instrumental in developing the curriculum for the peer-to-peer best practices for use of the PDMP database continuing education course for prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances that are registered to use the system.
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E-FORCSE® Contact Information:
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To create an E-FORCSE® account, navigate to https://florida.pmpaware.net and click “Create an Account.” For technical assistance, please call 1-877-719-3120. If you have questions specific to state policy, you may contact E-FORCSE® at 850-245-4797 or by e-mail at e-forcse@flhealth.gov.
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PDMP Foundation E-NEWS Contact Information:
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If you have any questions about the Foundation’s activities in support of E-FORCSE® please contact Bob Macdonald, executive director, at executive.director@flpdmpfoundation.com.
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