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PDMP FAQs

1. AWARxE, PDMP, and PDMP.Alaska.Gov
   What are these websites and what can I find on them?
  1. What is the difference between AWARxE and the PDMP?
    These are the same; AWARxE and PDMP are used synonymously to reference the controlled substance prescription database located at alaska.pmpaware.net. AWARxE is the web-based platform provided by our vendor, Appriss Health, and "PDMP" is the acronym for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This database is highly confidential and contains patient prescription information on federally scheduled II - IV controlled substances dispensed in Alaska.
  2. What is PDMP.Alaska.Gov?
    This is the state PDMP resource website that aims to provide timely and accurate instructions, information, resources, and necessary applications relevant to the state’s-controlled substance prescription database.
  3. How do I gain access to the PDMP at Alaska.PMPAware.Net?
    Create an account online at Alaska.PMPAware.Net and be sure to validate your email by clicking on the link sent from the no-reply@alaska.PMPAWARE.net email address. For more information, see instructions on the Registration Instructions & Forms page.
  4. How do I find my PDMP Registration Number?
    The PDMP registration number was implemented in 2018 and has been discontinued as of December 23, 2021. Instead of having a separate PDMP registration number, we are working to create a “PDMP Registration” as a designation on your license to indicate you are registered with the PDMP. Until this process has been completed, staff are adding a notation in your professional license file to indicate you have registered with the PDMP.
2. Registration, Reviewing, and Reporting Requirements
  1. Who is required to register?
    All practitioners who hold an active Alaska professional license and DEA registration from any state or practice location.
    All Alaska licensed pharmacists dispensing federally scheduled II - IV controlled substances in the state are required to register. If exclusively employed by a federal agency (IHS, VA, military) and NOT licensed in Alaska, please scroll down to the section on federal employment and visit the exemptions page.
  2. Who can access the PDMP on behalf of a provider?
    Providers can authorize delegates to access the PDMP on their behalf. Only Individuals who are licensed by the department, DCCED, under AS 08 are authorized to register as delegates (VA delegates are exempt from this requirement). This includes individuals who hold a license, registration, certification, or permit by DCCED. Certified Medical Assistants (CMA’s) are not regulated by DCCED at this time and cannot be authorized as delegates.
  3. Who is required to review patient prescription information?
    Alaska-licensed practitioners prescribing, administering, or directly dispensing a federally scheduled II or III controlled substance are required to review a patient’s prescription information. Alaska-licensed pharmacists are not required to review patient prescription information but may elect to do so. Situational and supply-day exemptions may apply; see the list of exemptions on the Use and Exemption page. If exclusively employed by a federal agency (IHS, VA, military) and NOT licensed in Alaska, please scroll down to the section on federal employment and visit the exemptions page.
  4. Who is required to report prescription information?
    The pharmacist-in-charge of a pharmacy is required to report prescription information for all federally scheduled II, III, or IV controlled substances dispensed; however, a pharmacist must report dispensation data if the pharmacist-in-charge is absent. Practitioners who directly dispense federally scheduled II - IV prescriptions are also required to report. If exclusively employed by a federal agency (IHS, VA, military) and NOT licensed in Alaska, please scroll down to the section on federal employment and visit the exemptions page. For pharmacies or prescribing practitioners not dispensing or distributing controlled substance prescriptions at all, the daily zero reporting requirement does not apply.
  5. When must prescription information be reported?
    Information must be reported on a daily basis, excluding weekends and state holidays. If no controlled substances were dispensed, a “zero report” must be submitted. A video tutorial can be found on the PDMP Resources page.
  6. Where can I find more information on PDMP registration and instructions? For more information, Registration Instructions & Forms page.
3. Federal Employee Exemption FAQs
  1. I work exclusively in an organization under the Indian Health Service (IHS) as a prescriber.
    If you are licensed in Alaska under AS 08, you are required to register with the controlled substance prescription database. Alaska Statute, AS 17.30.200(d)(11), allows access to individuals not licensed in Alaska so long as the individual holds a license in another state. The IHS, VA, Military Registration Instructions page located on pdmp.alaska.gov acknowledges that there may be a directive from the federal employer requiring PDMP registration; follow the directive of your employer and when submitting a registration request through alaska.pmpaware.net, select the user role, “IHS Prescriber”. The same is true for pharmacists; use the user role, “IHS Dispenser”. The same is true for Veterans Administration employees; use the user role “VA Prescriber” or “VA Dispenser”. Refer to FAQ #2 for guidance on how to register and whether a validation document is required for your federally related user role.
  2. I work exclusively as an IHS, Military, or VA Provider and DO NOT have an Alaska professional license. Do I have to register?
    No, unless an internal directive from your employer requires you to. If you do register, create an account at alaska.pmpaware.net, select the appropriate user role, and email a copy of your license from another jurisdiction to your licensing board.
  3. I do not work exclusively for a federal employer; I work both with the IHS, VA, military, or other federal employer and with a non-federal employer. Am I required to register?
    If you hold an active professional license under AS 08, have a DEA registration from any state or practice location, and are working outside of federal employment, you are required to be registered with the PDMP.
  4. Since I work as a federal prescriber or dispenser and also as a non-federal prescriber or dispenser, am I permitted to have more than one account?
    Yes, if you are working in two different capacities, you can have two different accounts, as long as you are using two different DEA registration numbers. You will need to use two different email address to log in with.
  5. How do I register with two different accounts?
    Your account is tied to the email address used to login to the PDMP. Use the email associated with your federal employer for one account and be sure to select the appropriate user role, e.g.: IHS Prescriber. For the other account, use the other email supplied by your non-federal employer or a secure personal email account. Select the appropriate role category, e.g.: Physician (MD, DO). For non-federal employees registering for the first time, please see the steps for initial access to the PDMP.
  6. What if I no longer work with a federal employer and my employment is now exclusively with a non-federal employer—what should I do with my IHS, VA, military, or other federal PDMP account?
    You can change your email address prior to your change in employment to maintain access by going to “My Profile” in the PDMP. If you have already changed employers and no longer have access to your login email address, please contact your licensing board for assistance (license@alaska.gov). If you will still be working in a non-federal capacity with a professional license issued by AS 08 and have a DEA registration (if a prescriber) or dispense federally scheduled II – IV controlled substances (if a dispenser), you will be required to comply with all registration and/or reporting requirements.
4. Unsolicited Prescriber "Report Card" FAQs
  1. What is an unsolicited prescriber report or "report card"?
    A prescriber "report card" details and compares practitioner's prescribing practices with other practitioners of the same occupation and similar specialty. Prescribers were emailed their first “report card” on December 6, 2017, and will receive periodic updates.
  2. How do I interpret my prescriber report or "report card"?
    See the Prescriber Report Card User Guide.
  3. Who has the authority to send out prescriber reports, and why were they sent?
    Legislation in 2017 (HB159) authorized the Alaska Board of Pharmacy, through the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) to send out unsolicited prescriber reports to licensed prescribers required to register with the PDMP. This feature is an enhancement of the PDMP that provides feedback to providers about their prescribing trends, and shows how their prescribing practices compare to others in a similar field.
  4. How often will I receive an unsolicited prescriber report and through what format will it be sent?
    AS 17.30.200(s) authorizes reports to be disseminated periodically and will be done so on a quarterly basis. The first reports were sent out on December 6, 2017, to the email address associated with your PDMP registration account. These reports are now accessible through PDMP AWARxE by navigating to: Menu → RxSearch → Prescriber Report. The frequency of report distribution may be subject to change.
  5. What if there is incorrect information listed on my prescriber report?
    If your specialty is different from the primary health care specialty in which you are currently practicing, you can correct your specialty through AWARxE under the "My Profile" tab under your name in the upper right corner of the screen. You may also contact the PDMP administrator to update this or other report card errors at: akpdmp@alaska.gov
  6. I didn’t receive a "report card"—why?
    In order to receive a report card, a registered user must have written an opioid prescription during the reporting period.
5. Clinical Alert Dashboard Notifications

Q: I am seeing clinical alerts for prescriber/dispenser thresholds, daily morphine milligram equivalents (MME), and concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions. What does this mean?

A: Thoroughly read the disclaimer and explanations within the alerts and read our Clinical Alert FAQs.

6. Reviewing Compliance with Mandatory Use

Q: Am I able to review my own compliance with the patient prescription history review requirement?

A: To view your compliance within AWARxE, please navigate to the 'Menu' tab, then select 'Mandatory Use' under the 'Data' tab. Alternatively, you may go to the 'Menu' tab, then 'Rx Search, and then 'MyRx'. Please note there may be situations in which a practitioner is exempt from reviewing the PDMP, but the dispensation and exemption from querying may still appear as a missed query.

These include the following:

  • Administering to an inpatient admitted to a healthcare facility (exempt by AS 17.30.200(k))
  • Administering at the scene of an emergency, in an ambulance, or in an emergency department (exempt by AS 17.30.200(k)(4)(A)(iii))
  • Dispensing, prescribing, or administering at a hospice or nursing home that has an inpatient pharmacy (AS 17.30.200(k)(4)(A)(iv))
  • Dispensing, prescribing, or administering immediately before, during, or within the first 48 hours after surgery or a medical procedure (AS 17.30.200(k))
  • Writing a non-refillable prescription for a controlled substance in a quantity intended to last for not more than three days (AS 17.30.200(k)(4)(B))
7. Other Topics

Q: What do I do if I believe someone has stolen my prescription pad and has been writing fraudulent prescriptions?

A: Report this to local law enforcement and to the PDMP administrator at akpdmp@alaska.gov


Q: I am concerned that a provider may be prescribing inappropriately. What should I do?

A: Report this to the Investigations Section by filling out the Request for Contact Form and selecting "Prescription Drug Monitoring Program" from the "Type of Business or Profession Involved" drop-down menu.