Health officials want to require physicians to use pill-tracking databases before they prescribe high-risk medications, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Obama administration continues to strategize ways to stop opioid abuse, even though many physicians view a pill-tracking database as extraneous. Many physicians argue a mandate to check a database will slow patient wait times and result in less time with patients.
Gary Mendell is helping the government with its efforts through his nonprofit Shatterproof, which is lobbying for stricter prescription standards. Former Shatterproof CEO Mr. Mendell invested $4.1 million of his own money to jumpstart his campaign against opioid abuse.
The nonprofit also suggests ways to improve prescription monitoring, so patients can't receive various opioid prescriptions from different physicians. All states monitoring systems are lacking, however, with outdated information and no real-time tracking.
Shatterproof reported Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, Connecticut, Ohio, Wisconsin and Massachusetts currently have database requirements. In Kentucky, opioid deaths decreased 25 percent after the state implemented a login database requirement.
