NJ Prescription Monitoring Program

The New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP) is an important component of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs' initiative to halt the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.

Established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:1-45 et. seq., the NJPMP is a statewide database that collects prescription data on Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS), Human Growth Hormone (HGH), and gabapentin dispensed in outpatient settings in New Jersey, and by out-of-State pharmacies dispensing into New Jersey.

Pharmacies are required to report information to the NJPMP on a daily basis to the PMP Clearinghouse using the ASAP 4.2 format.  Prescriptions must be reported to the database no more than one (1) business day after the date the prescription was dispensed.

The Division of Consumer Affairs and the NJPMP Administrator keep patient information strictly confidential, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)  Privacy and Security Rules.

Suspicious Activity Report

A report for healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, pharmacists, etc.)  to report to the Division suspicious healthcare-related incidents. For example: a suspicious prescriber or pharmacy that appears to be acting outside of the normal scope of practice, or an individual obtaining controlled dangerous substances (CDS) for any purpose other than the treatment of an existing medical condition, such as for purposes of abuse, misuse or diversion.

This portal should not be used to report fraudulent, stolen or altered prescriptions and/or theft or loss of CDS.  When reporting these issues, healthcare professionals must utilize the appropriate forms available on the New Jersey Drug Control Unit’s webpage.  These forms are also available to be submitted electronically on the Drug Control Unit Reporting System (DCURS).

Access by Prescribers, their Delegates and Pharmacists

Access to the NJPMP is granted to prescribers, delegates and pharmacists who are licensed by the State of New Jersey and whose licensees are in good standing with their respective licensing boards. Registered prescribers may delegate their authority to access the NJPMP to certain other healthcare  professionals.

Before issuing a prescription, a prescriber or the prescriber's delegate shall access prescription monitoring information for a new or current patient consistent with the following:

1. The first time the practitioner prescribes a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance or any opioid to a new or current patient for acute or chronic pain; and

2. The first time the practitioner prescribes a benzodiazepine drug that is a Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance; and

3. If the practitioner has a reasonable belief that the person may be seeking a controlled dangerous substance, in whole or in part, for any purpose other than the treatment of an existing medical condition, such as for purposes of misuse, abuse, or diversion, the first time the practitioner or other person prescribes a non-opioid drug other than a benzodiazepine drug that is a Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance; and

4. Any time the practitioner prescribes a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance for acute or chronic pain to a patient receiving care or treatment in the emergency department of a general hospital;

5. On a quarterly basis (every three months) during the period of time a current patient continues to receive a prescription for a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance or for an opioid drug for acute or chronic pain, or for a benzodiazepine that is a Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance.

Before dispensing a prescribed drug, pharmacists who have registered to use the NJPMP are able to access the NJPMP website and request the CDS and HGH, and gabapentin prescription history of the patient. If the pharmacist has a reasonable belief that the person may be seeking a controlled dangerous substance, in whole or in part, for any purpose other than the treatment of an existing medical condition, such as for purposes of misuse, abuse, or diversion, a pharmacist shall not dispense a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance, any opioid, or a benzodiazepine drug that is a Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance to any person without first accessing the prescription monitoring information to determine if the person has received other prescriptions that indicate misuse, abuse, or diversion.

Patient information in the NJPMP is intended to supplement an evaluation of a patient, confirm a patient's drug history, or document compliance with a therapeutic regimen. Before accessing NJPMP data, users must certify that they are seeking information for a specific, current patient. When prescribers, their delegates, or pharmacists identify a patient as potentially having an issue of concern regarding drug use, they are encouraged to help the patient locate assistance and take any other action the prescriber or pharmacist deems appropriate.

Patient Privacy

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and its private contractor keep NJPMP patient information strictly confidential, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)  Privacy and Security Rules.

Prescribers, delegates, and pharmacists authorized to access the NJPMP, must certify before each search that they are seeking data solely for the purpose of providing healthcare to new or current patients. Authorized users agree that they will not provide access to the NJPMP to any other individuals, including members of their staff.

A prescriber, delegate, or pharmacist who accesses or discloses NJPMP information for any purpose other than providing healthcare to a current patient or verifying the NJPMP's record of prescriptions issued by the prescriber, or who allows any other individuals to access the NJPMP using the prescriber's or pharmacist's own access codes, is subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each offense and disciplinary action by the prescriber's, delegate's or pharmacist's professional licensing board.

Any individual who suspects that another individual or entity has accessed or disclosed patient information in violation of the NJPMP Statute, NJPMP Regulations, or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules, should immediately contact the NJPMP Administrator at NJPMP@dca.lps.state.nj.us or call the Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846.

Help Us Fight Prescription Drug Abuse

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs invites all members of the public to help in the fight to halt the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.

The statistics on prescription drug abuse are staggering.

The 2016 American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)  Facts and Figures notes that "four in five new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers."

A 2014 report from the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse noted a startling rise in the rate of patient admissions to drug addiction treatment centers of more than 200% over the past five years, and nearly 700% over the past decade.  Heroin and opioid admissions accounted for 49 percent of all substance abuse admissions in New Jersey in 2014, the highest in at least a decade, according to data from the State Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Every day, 46 Americans die from an overdose caused by prescription painkiller abuse, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdoses of opioid prescription drugs now kill more people in the U.S. than heroin and cocaine combined.

Consumers can learn the best ways to dispose of unused medications, and to keep medications safe within their homes, at our Project Medicine Drop website.