Florida Pharmacists’ Attitudes Towards Implementing a State Prescription Monitoring Program

Objective. This study is being conducted to assess pharmacists’ attitudes towards prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) and their utility in Florida. Background. Florida’s drug abuse problem has reached new levels with six people dying each day due to prescription drug overdoses. Florida recently became the 39th state to enact legislature to implement a PMP. Methods. For this study, 5,000 Florida licensed pharmacists will be randomly selected through the Florida Department of Health Licensee Data Center to participate in a ten-question voluntary and anonymous self-administered survey. The survey was pre-tested by a small group of 35 Florida pharmacists to validate the instrument. Attitudes towards implementation of a PMP will be correlated with years of practice, primary area of practice, and prior knowledge of PMPs. The survey will be mailed to individuals with a business reply envelope provided to maintain anonymity and increase the response rate. Participants will have approximately eight weeks to complete the survey. Reminder postcards will be sent three weeks after the surveys are mailed. A mixed model will be utilized for the statistical analysis. Grants. This study is funded by an HPD internal research grant.