Electronic Prescription Monitoring

Approved October 2011  

Originally approved by the ACEP Board of Directors October 2011 

The diversion of controlled substances from medical to non-medical purposes has become a significant public health problem. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) supports the use of electronic prescription monitoring and believes these systems should: 

• Protect patient privacy. 
• Not discourage a patient with a genuine medical condition from seeking care. 
• Support access to legitimate medical use of controlled substances. 
• Ensure accuracy and completion of the data. 
• Be voluntary. 
• Provide liability protection for the practitioner. 
• Minimize burdensome requirements on the physician. 
• Utilize a robust monitoring system with intra-state linkages, easily accessible and navigable by practitioners seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. 
• Be limited to appropriate individuals and agencies including physicians, pharmacists and law enforcement. 
• Not be used to evaluate physician’s practice. 
• Allow physicians to monitor their own prescribing patterns and to identify potential unauthorized use. 

ACEP opposes mandatory reporting of potential abuse to law enforcement because such reporting fundamentally conflicts with the appropriate role of physicians in the physician-patient relationship.