Following its lead in developing the standard every state requires pharmacies to use to report controlled substances dispensed, the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy (ASAP) has developed a standard that can be used to request a report on a patient suspected of doctor or pharmacy shopping. This is an XML Web service-based standard that can be easily implemented in not only pharmacy management systems, but in electronic health record systems as well.

The workgroup convened to develop this “solicited report” standard included a number of prescription-monitoring programs, system vendors, and drug chains.

ASAP is also continuing its work on a standard that would offer a more efficient means to communicate to prescribers and dispensers when a patient becomes a person of interest by meeting a state’s threshold for such alerts. These alerts are known as unsolicited reports.