Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
State-administered electronic database tracking controlled substance prescriptions.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Compliance Program
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- compliance binder →
Where this comes up
Compliance committees and practice managers operate at this level — written policy, workforce training, sanction policy, monitoring and auditing cadence, response and corrective action. The seven elements of an effective compliance program (OIG) are the scaffolding; this term lives somewhere on that scaffold.
Full definition
What it is in practice
Every state operates a PDMP. State laws vary on when prescribers must query — many require it before initial controlled-substance prescriptions and at defined intervals.
How it shows up in your practice
Build PDMP query into the prescribing workflow. Document the query in the chart per state law requirements.
Sources
- DEA — Controlled Substances Acthttps://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/
Track PDMP integration in the Compliance Binder
Open compliance binder →Related terms
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryControlled Substances ActFederal statute (21 USC 801 et seq.) regulating the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of controlled substances.
- GlossaryE-Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS)DEA-regulated electronic prescribing of Schedule II-V controlled substances.
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This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.