West Virginia Gets Grant for Prescription Drug Monitoring

West Virginia is getting $450,000 in federal funding to support its prescription drug monitoring project.

The funding is from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It was announced Wednesday by Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, Rep. Nick Rahall and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.

Officials say the funding will help to integrate electronic health records and pharmacy systems to make prescribers aware of patients who have histories of abuse or are doctor shopping.

Tomblin says the grant will also help make the prescription drug monitoring program more user friendly for physicians and hospitals in West Virginia.

According to federal figures, West Virginia suffers the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate, with most of those cases involving prescription drugs.