P R E S S   R E L E A S E

Secretary of State BEV CLARNO The State of Oregon

CONTACT: Andrea Chiapella | 503-986-2259 | andrea.chiapella@oregon.gov

DATE: April 16, 2020

Secretary of State Auditors Win National Award for Audit on Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

SALEM, OR — An audit issued in 2018 identifying limitations in the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) has won the Excellence in Accountability Award from the National State Auditors Association.

The audit, titled “Constraints on Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Limit the State’s Ability to Help Address Opioid Drug Misuse and Abuse,” found that Oregon could be doing more to utilize this important tool.

Auditors found Oregon’s laws prevent the use of a number of best practice methods that many other states have incorporated into their programs. For example, Oregon’s PDMP collects less information, is used less effectively, and does not allow key stakeholders reasonable access to information. Using PDMP data, auditors found prescriptions written for excessive amounts of drugs, dangerous drug combinations, and numerous instances of a practice known as doctor shopping for opioids.

 “The Audits Division has a history of award-winning work and continues to improve with timely and ambitious audits,” said Secretary of State Bev Clarno. “It is no surprise to me that our auditors have been given this prestigious award for the third time, the audits team is an exceptional group of public servants.”

The Oregon Audits Division is a proud repeat recipient of this award, which recognizes some of the most innovative thinking in the current state government auditing environment. The division has previously earned this award in 2015, 2018, and 2019.

The National State Auditors Association is part of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, which is the premier organization working to bring together these groups to cooperatively address government financial management issues.

Read the audit on the Secretary of State website.

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