CNHI Indiana Statehouse Bureau

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana's plans to join a comprehensive health records network could help reduce opioid addiction and abuse, state officials said Thursday.

The project expands the current Indiana Scheduled Prescription Electronic Collection and Tracking program, known as INSPECT, so health care professionals can more quickly track a patient's health record. 

Currently, physicians log into different software systems to find prescription history and then cross-reference with a patient's health information. That process can take five to 10 minutes, said Deborah Frye, executive director of the Indiana Public Licensing Agency.

"Integration is providing access to patient prescriptions and history in real time, allowing the practitioner to take a proactive approach with patients when addressing this opioid epidemic," Frye said.

The system will be phased in over three years, Gov. Eric Holcomb told the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse.

The program has been piloted in Deaconess Hospital in Evansville and at Kroger pharmacies.

The agreement is with Appriss Health of Louisville, which currently integrates INSPECT records with electronic health record and pharmacy management systems. The $1.3 million contract allows the state to use the PMP Gateway system for more rapid response time and access to records.

© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.