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INSPECT helps you track your patients' narcotic use
What do you do when a new patient comes to you requesting controlled substances? Consider checking the Indiana Scheduled Prescription Electronic Collection & Tracking (INSPECT) database.
Since last July, the program has been open to physicians – an action prompted by a 2005 resolution to the ISMA House of Delegates. The Web-based system tracks all schedule II through V controlled substances dispensed in the state.
Under the direction of the Board of Pharmacy, INSPECT is housed at the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. More than 3,200 practitioners are now registered to use it.
“When INSPECT became available, I found patients who were prescribed multiple drugs from multiple physicians,” said Evansville pain management physician Steven Rupert, D.O. (pictured on right). “One patient was recently discovered being prescribed more than 6,000 pills of a narcotic over a 12-month period from physicians from New Albany to Evansville. Without INSPECT, this individual would have continued to abuse the system.”
Using INSPECT
Registering for the program should take less than five minutes, according to Josh Klatte, assistant program manager for INSPECT. Controlled Substance Registration and Drug Enforcement Administration numbers and contact information are required to register. Each physician only needs to establish one account, even if a staff member is chosen as a delegated INSPECT user. However, Klatte warned that physicians are held accountable for staff.
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“Registering may take a little time, but it’s worth it,” noted Kokomo family physician Terry Haffner, M.D. (pictured on left). “Once you are registered, it’s easy to use.”
After registering, the program asks only for patient information, such as name, address, zip code and date of birth each time you conduct a search.
Fort Wayne pharmacist-turned-psychiatrist Jay Fawver, M.D. (pictured below on right), said his electronic medical record (EMR) system helps speed the process of searching for a patient.
“There is nothing to it,” he said. “All I do is copy and paste patient information from the EMR into INSPECT and I have it.”
Physicians concerned that using INSPECT could somehow subject them to new scrutiny should know that law enforcement and state officials have always had access to physician prescribing data. INSPECT simply makes the data available to health care providers.
Although physicians are not required to use INSPECT, they are immune from civil liability for an injury, death or loss to a person solely due to their seeking or not seeking information from the database. As always, though, a physician may not negligently misuse information obtained from it or engage in gross negligence or intentional misconduct, advised Julie Reed, ISMA’s legal counsel.
How it helps
Dr. Haffner has tracked 20 to 30 patients in INSPECT and found a few who were abusing the system. “INSPECT is tremendously helpful. It’s a great resource to look up new patients,” he said.
While drug testing is helpful, Dr. Rupert does not rely on it alone. “INSPECT is a handy tool,” he said. “It keeps everyone compliant. I don’t prescribe narcotics without using INSPECT.”
Future expansion plans
While INSPECT tracks only Indiana data, program officials hope to expand it to include information from neighboring states.
“Interstate sharing is where we want to go,” said Klatte. “Doctors in Indiana are eligible for KASPER (Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting), but they have to go into multiple systems to get the information. We would like for physicians to access INSPECT and get information about patients from the surrounding states.”
On the federal level, Congress approved the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) act in 2005. The federal grant program helps states establish prescription drug monitoring programs as long as they share data with other states. However, funding is needed for the program.
“Physicians need to be aware of NASPER,” said Dr. Rupert. “The program needs to be funded because it will help all states to monitor controlled substances.”
He urges you to contact your congressmen and encourage them to support funding for NASPER.
Access INSPECT or e-mail or call (317) 234-4457 or 4458.
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