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Texas pharmacy staff warn of electronic-prescription fraud, urge regular PMP checks
Summary
A Texas State Board of Pharmacy staff member warned that prescribers' prescription software can be hacked to create fraudulent controlled-substance prescriptions and urged pharmacists and prescribers to verify unusual orders and routinely check the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program.
A staff member for the Texas State Board of Pharmacy warned that prescription-writing software can be targeted by hackers to create fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances and urged pharmacists and prescribers to verify unusual orders before dispensing.
The official said pharmacies and pharmacists can identify this form of diversion by contacting the prescribing practitioner to confirm unusual or suspicious prescription orders before dispensing. Practitioners were advised to periodically review their Texas Prescription Monitoring Program account via the Board's website at www.pharmacy.texas.gov by selecting Texas PMP and logging in.
The staff member also noted that manual PMP queries are available at www.txpnp.org. The site’s My Rx reporting tool shows dispensations reported to the Texas PMP under a prescriber’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number, which can help practitioners spot prescribing anomalies tied to their DEA listing. The presenter recommended extra care when a patient does not appear to have a prescription record in the PMP and when patients request controlled substances commonly diverted or abused on the street.
No formal action or vote was recorded during this compliance update. The guidance given was presented as operational best practices for pharmacists and prescribers to detect possible prescription diversion and unauthorized electronic prescribing activity.
The Board-provided resources referenced during the update include the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program portals at www.pharmacy.texas.gov (click Texas PMP to log in) and www.txpnp.org (My Rx reporting).
