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General Program Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What is the MN Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)?

Answer: The Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is administered by the MN Board of Pharmacy (BOP) and collects prescription data on all schedules II-V controlled substances as well as butalbital and gabapentin regardless of how the prescription was paid for (cash, insurance, etc.). The MN BOP was given authority under Minnesota Statute M.S. § 152.126 to establish a program with the purpose of promoting public health and welfare by detecting diversion, abuse, and misuse for the prescription medications classified as controlled substances under the Minnesota statutes.

2.  What information is contained in the MN PMP database?

Answer: The MN PMP database contains information about controlled substance prescriptions that were dispensed in or into the state of MN. The MN PMP controlled substance prescription history report contains, at minimum, the following:

• name of recipient;
• recipient date of birth;
• recipient address as provided to pharmacy;
• name of prescription medication;
• date prescription was written;
• quantity dispensed;
• days’ supply of prescription;
• name of prescriber
• date prescription was dispensed;
• name of dispensing facility or individual;
• if prescription was new or refill; and
• location of dispenser

3.  Who is submitting the prescription data?

Answer:  Minnesota Statute M.S. § 152.126 requires all dispensers (pharmacies or providers that dispense from their office) licensed by the State of Minnesota to report all controlled substance II- V, gabapentin, and butalbital prescriptions dispensed on a daily basis. There are some exceptions allowed please see Minnesota Statute M.S. § 152.126 subd 4 (c) for exception requirements.

4.  How long is the information available in the database?

Answer:  Data reported is available to permissible users for a 12-month period beginning the day the data was received. The PMP program staff and certain authorized individuals may use all data collected for the purposes of administering, operating, and maintaining the prescription monitoring program and conducting trend analyses and other studies necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

5.  Who has direct access to the data?

 Answer:  Prescribers and dispensers (pharmacists) can register for an account to access the data. Other types of registered account holders are:

• Delegates authorized by prescribers and dispensers to access data on their behalf.
• MN Medical Examiners and Coroners are entitled by law to the information contained in the MN PMP database.
• Minnesota Department of Human Services, Restricted Recipient Program staff and their delegates

6.  Are prescribers or dispensers required to access the database?

Answer:  Yes, prescribers are required to review the PMP in certain circumstances, effective   January 1, 2021, see Required Review of MN PMP Patient History Prior to Prescribing Opiates.

7.  Can Law Enforcement request prescription data?

Answer: Yes, Law enforcement may request a recipient’s prescription history, pharmacy dispensing history, and prescribing history of a prescriber. These requests must be submitted to the PMP with a valid search warrant. Law enforcement can request up to 12 months of data. Click here for a law enforcement request form.

8.  Can a person request their own prescription history data?

Answer: Yes, a report can be sent to an individual by submitting a request form signed in the presence of a notary. Click here for Individual’s Controlled Substance Prescription History Request Form.

9.  Can a person request prescription history be sent to a third party?

Answer:  Yes, an individual can request data be sent to a 3^rd party by filling out an authorization for release form. The form needs to be notarized and sent to the PMP office. Click here for a release form.

10.  I received a prescription history report, and the information is incorrect, how do I get the information corrected?

Answer: Prescription data is uploaded by pharmacies. Contact the pharmacy that may have uploaded incorrect information and request they amend the record they uploaded. Pharmacies can click here for instructions on how to edit a prescription record.

11.  Will the program limit a patient’s access to prescription drugs?

Answer: No, the program in not intended to prevent patients from obtaining needed drugs. It is also not intended to prevent prescribing or dispensing of needed drugs to patients.

12.  How are my animal’s prescriptions that are dispensed to me effect Risk Scores and analytics in a MN PMP Report?

Answer: When a prescription is dispensed for an animal, the reporting dispenser is required to indicate that the prescription is for a veterinary patient. Additionally, the name of the animal must be reported to the MN PMP along with the owner or caretaker’s information. The following applies to a MN PMP NarxCare report for a human patient, that show prescription(s) reported as dispensed for an animal in their care:

• Prescriptions dispensed for a patient’s animal(s) are excluded from the algorithm used to create risk scores. (Narx Scores and Overdoes Risk Score)
• The interactive graphs show prescriptions by prescriber, therefore veterinary prescribed prescriptions are listed separately.
• Animal prescriptions are not included in the daily morphine milligram equivalents.
• Animal prescriptions are included in the Summary section which is an aggregation count of prescribers, prescriptions, and pharmacies.
• In the line by line prescription data animal prescriptions are listed with an animal icon that will present the animal's name when hovered.   

Update February 2022