IL Joins Network to Track Prescription Drug Abuse

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Credit narconon.org

An Illinois medicine-monitoring program joins a national data-sharing network to further prevent prescription drug abuse. The Department of Human Services is linking its prescription monitoring program to a National Association of Boards of Pharmacy network. By joining the national network, Human Services will be able to better identify people who have been issued multiple prescriptions across state lines.

The network will alert physicians and pharmacies when a patient has received more than the recommended dosage of controlled substances. The program collected 18 million prescription records last year which 19,000 doctors and pharmacies consult regularly. A federal grant is funding the program's expansion.