Interorganizational Relationship and Infrastructure Variation and Public Health System Efforts to Address Prescription Drug Abuse

To build evidence on ensuring effective public health system responses to prescription drug abuse and diversion in the US, investigators from Johns Hopkins University will examine the roles of interorganizational relationships, information sharing, and legally established infrastructure on prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) function and impact. The investigators will complete four state case studies to 1) examine how interorganizational relationships among states’ public health, substance abuse, and criminal justice agencies affect their PDMPs’ structure and operations; 2) assess how the scope and clarity of legal powers specified in authorizing legislation, enforcement authority, and assigned duties of PDMPs affect their ability to function effectively within the public health system; and 3) determine how PMDPs’ infrastructure affects their ability to address diversion of prescription drugs and associated morbidity and mortality. Quantitative measures for the state case studies will be based on data collected via interviews with practitioners, policymakers, professional organizations; review of documents and media regarding PDMP activities, the internet and gray literature; and publicly available data on PDMP operations and prescription drug use. Legal measures will be created based on the state statutes and regulations, and qualitative measures related to interorganizational relationships will be derived from the interviews. Findings will identify for state-level policymakers the aspects of PDMPs most associated with efficient and effective functioning within the public health system.