News & Important Announcements

Controlled Substances
July 1, 2016: Pursuant to Indiana Code 25-26-13-4, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, when dispensed via prescription, are each considered a "controlled substance" for the purposes of the INSPECT program.  All prescription dispensations of these drugs must be reported to INSPECT.  Over-the-counter purchases are not reported to INSPECT and must be processed through NPLEx.

INSPECT and VA Medical Center
March 9, 2016: The Director of Indiana’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (INSPECT), Michael Brady, recently met with officials from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase joint efforts to improve healthcare for Hoosier Veterans.

Prescription drug monitoring programs in the US are managed by the states.  In Indiana, this effort will ensure Veterans are getting medications they need to improve their health.  It will provide doctors across the state with more accurate information about their Veteran patients. It will also facilitate the best possible prescribing habits among physicians both in VA facilities and throughout the rest of Indiana.

“We at the Professional Licensing Agency are eager to assist the VA in their mission,” said Michael Brady, Director of INSPECT. “As we move forward with this process, we are honored to partner with the VA medical centers in Indiana.”

Dr Ginny Creasman, interim director of the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis and herself a pharmacist stated, “Since 2007, INSPECT has been a valuable tool for healthcare providers in Indiana.  This additional effort will ensure prescription information is made securely available to both the VA and community providers.  Ultimately, healthcare will be safer for our Veterans.”

INSPECT and VA officials will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition into this new partnership.

Professional Licensing Agency Update: Controlled Substances and INSPECT
January 1, 2016: The Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) is pleased to announce that the transition, effective January 1, 2016, to 24-hour requirement for pharmacies to report dispensed controlled substances has been extremely smooth. The initiative provides valuable assistance in combating the drug abuse epidemic in the state by ensuring dispensed controlled substance prescription information is as up to date as possible for both practitioners and law enforcement. All controlled substances dispensed, including zero reports, must be reported within twenty-four (24) hours or by the close of the next business day if the dispenser is closed the day following the dispensing. Additionally, all errant records must be corrected and resubmitted within twenty-four (24) hours (next business day.)

The PLA would also like to announce recent improvements to the registration process for the INSPECT program. The Board of Pharmacy voted unanimously to remove the notary requirement for registration, streamlining the process to encourage practitioner use. INSPECT has already seen an increase in registrations following this change. In addition, INSPECT is currently working toward registering all eligible practitioners for the program, with the goal of 100% registration in the state after the next license renewal cycle. This is one of the ways the PLA seeks to continue easing the burden on practitioners as they work to provide the highest quality care for their patients.

Key Finding and Recommendations from the Indiana INSPECT Evaluation: Key Findings and Recommendations From A Descriptive Analysis of INSPECT Data

March 9, 2015: Dr. Eric Wright with the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI presented the final report, “The Indiana INSPECT Evaluation: Key Findings and Recommendations From A Descriptive Analysis of INSPECT Data,” to the Indiana Board of Pharmacy on Monday, March 9, 2015.  The web link provides the full report that examined de-identified INSPECT and provider licensure data from Calendar Years 2011 to 2013.  The data was analyzed to identify trends with controlled substance prescriptions, and the report includes, but is not limited to, analysis on dispensation patterns, doctor shopping and demographic characteristics of opioid prescribers.

Key Findings and Recommendations from the 2013 IPLA INSPECT Knowledge and Use Survey

July 9, 2014: In 2012, the Harold Rogers grant program funded the following study conducted by the Center for Health Policy at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI. The study evaluated the effectiveness of INSPECT and the impact it was making to reduce prescription drug abuse. The Center for Health Policy was solely responsible for analyzing the data and summarizing the findings from the research. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, the Indiana State Department of Health and the Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force collaborated on this effort.