Pennsylvania has been working on improving things as to the dispensing and the use of opioids for the treatment of pain for several years. Up until a few years ago, Pennsylvania was only one of a handful of states that did not have a functioning prescription drug monitoring program. In August 2016, under the authority of the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program (ABC-MAP) Act (the act), the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) launched a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), including a statewide database (the system) for the collection of data on schedule II through schedule V controlled substances prescribed and dispensed to patients within the commonwealth. Among other purposes, the PDMP seeks to alert medical professionals to instances of patient abuse of controlled substances, including prescription opioids. Physicians and pharmacists began registering with the PDMP on Aug. 8, 2016, and the database became available for query on Aug. 25, 2016.

While today most hospitals, physician groups and other health care providers focus on the ramifications of its doctors who overprescribe narcotics, there are equally severe repercussions for pharmacists who dispense these drugs directly to patients. Pharmacists provide care to patients in various settings, from community stores, to clinics, to hospitals.