State Roundup: Minnesota launches addictive drugs database

In January, MINNESOTA pharmacies were required to report data on addictive drugs to the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program. By late March, doctors, dentists and pharmacists will be able to tap into the system to identify patients who get too many habit-forming medicines. Minnesota joins 33 other states that monitor prescriptions for controlled substances such as amphetamines, barbituates, and some diet pills. The state database, funded by a $400,000 federal grant, is expected to track more than a million prescriptions a year.