North Dakota joins US states monitoring Rx drug abuse

The North Dakota Pharmacy Board has announced plans to create a prescription drug database to identify residents of the state who are likely to be abusing prescription drugs. The move comes shortly after Alaska became the last of the 50 states to introduce regulations allowing electronic prescribing.

The Associated Press reports that under the existing oversight system, the Pharmacy Board has to contact individual retailers in writing to identify suspicious purchasing patterns. In addition to a potential law enforcement role, the program, funded via a federal government grant, will help physicians and pharmacists avoid errors and inappropriate combinations of prescribed drugs.