JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Monday is set to make Missouri the final state to adopt a prescription drug monitoring database aimed at flagging possible opioid misuse.
Parson plans to sign a bill enabling the program during a Capitol ceremony.
Missouri lawmakers struggled for years to pass such legislation over primarily Republican concerns that a medication database could be hacked, jeopardizing patient privacy.
The measure finally made it across the finish line in May.
Most of Missouri already is covered by a prescription database. At a minimum, an estimated 85% of Missourians fall under the monitoring program run by St. Louis County and joined by numerous other counties across the state, according to the St. Louis County website.
Advocates have argued expanding the program statewide will give lawmakers more oversight of the program and prevent people from loading up on prescriptions in the areas that are still not covered.
The Missouri plan would only collect data on medications that are considered controlled substances, such as opioid painkillers and some anti-anxiety drugs. The data could not be provided to law enforcement and only could be used for medical treatment.
