LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kroger pharmacies in Michigan have integrated Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS) data and advanced analytics into their workflow to better track prescription drug abuse.

Kroger’s integration into MAPS was facilitated by Appriss Health, a technology partner for Michigan’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). Appriss Health said Tuesday that Kroger can now directly access MAPS and other information through its pharmacy management system for patients with histories for Schedule II-V controlled substances prescribed and dispensed.

Michigan’s enhanced prescription drug monitoring system launched on April 4.

“The pharmacists in all Michigan Kroger stores can now easily identify patients for whom controlled substance usage is unusually high and address overuse or abuse concerns without the need to log into different websites for the information they need  in clinical decision making,” Bill Shinton, director of pharmacy operations for Kroger Co., said in a statement. “Immediate access to prescription drug monitoring programs within the pharmacy workflow puts the best information and insights available into the hands of our pharmacists to ensure the safety of our patients and to comply with state regulations.”

Appriss Health said its PDMP solution, PMP AWARxE, will replace the current MAPS and give Michigan an advanced repository of controlled substance dispensing data. The platform will deliver clinical decision support and critical insights to aid prescribers and dispensers in determining the most appropriate drug therapy for patients.

Kroger has enabled in-workflow information access in 18 states and more than 1,300 pharmacies nationwide, Appriss Health reported, adding that the food and drug retailer expects to be sharing PDMP data between Michigan, Indiana and Ohio within the next month.

Kroger accesses its prescription information via Appriss Health’s NarxCheck, an analytics platform that provides real-time clinical decision support to prescribers and dispensers. That support is delivered via PMP Gateway, a managed service that enables compliance, access and interaction of the PDMP information, analytic insights, tools and resources within the physician’s and pharmacist’s daily workflow through integration with electronic health record (EHR) and pharmacy management systems.

“We are proud to partner with the state of Michigan and Kroger to help identify, prevent and manage substance use disorder in their patient population,” commented Appriss health president Rob Cohen. “We encourage the state of Michigan, other states, health care providers, pharmacies and EHR and pharmacy management system providers to all work together to help make better informed decisions for early intervention and improved outcomes. Wide and deep adoption of PDMP information exchange and informed decision making support, such as advanced analytics, into daily workflow can effectively and efficiently identify potential problems with prescription drug addiction, misuse and abuse; affect treatment and outcomes; and ultimately improve patient safety.”

In 2015, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder formed a bipartisan task force to develop a statewide plan to improve MAPS. Later in 2016, he established the Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Commission to continue the work initiated by the task force.

“Kroger’s integration into MAPS is a result of the collaboration between the state of Michigan and Appriss Health in the fight to prevent opioid abuse,” stated Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who chaired the task force. “I would like to thank Kroger for their investment and efforts to make it possible for pharmacists and practitioners to directly access and use MAPS data in their workflow, and I am hopeful other large pharmacy chains and hospital systems will also soon fully integrate with MAPS.”