New Program Aims to Prevent Abuse

A new law in 2017 is creating a prescription drug monitoring program, an online database that will help physicians provide the best care and prevent abuse.

Based on the law, physicians will be required to enter all controlled substance prescriptions into this database.

Controlled substances are those like opioids that are often abused.

Physicians can then pull up the database to see what types of medications their patient is on as well as how much of each medication they've been prescribed.

Methodist has been at the forefront of an electronic prescription program for the past two years to more accurately monitor controlled substance use as Dr. Greg Hutteger explains.

WOWT Jenna Jaynes: New prescription drug monitoring program aims to prevent abuse