How PDMP works in Carepatron
A guide to registering for your state's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, connecting it to Carepatron, and reading a Narx report before you prescribe.
A Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is a state-run database of the controlled substances dispensed to a person. Carepatron surfaces that data through
DoseSpot and its PDMP partner, Bamboo Health, so prescribers can review a client's history from inside the prescribing workflow instead of logging in to a separate state portal.
This article is for admins setting up PDMP for a practice, and for prescribers checking a report before prescribing. Setting each prescriber's PDMP role needs the workspace owner. Viewing a report does not need admin access.
PDMP is available in the US only, and is part of the eRx add-on.
In this article
What you'll see in a PDMP report
Before you begin
Check your state
Step 1: Register with Bamboo Health (admin)
Step 2: Bamboo Health takes it to the state
Step 3: Send your credentials to Carepatron (admin)
Step 4: Set each prescriber's PDMP role (workspace owner)
Viewing a PDMP report
Troubleshooting
FAQs
What you'll see in a PDMP report
A PDMP report brings together several pieces of information about a client's controlled substance history.
Narx Scores: three scores covering narcotics, sedatives and stimulants, each reflecting how much of that category the person has been dispensed and how the prescriptions overlap.
Overdose Risk Score: a single score summarising overdose risk.
Clinical risk indicators and state indicators: flags such as high cumulative morphine milligram equivalents per day, or overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions.
Dispensing history: what was filled, when, by which pharmacy, and who prescribed it.
Note: These are decision-support signals, not diagnoses. They exist to inform your clinical judgement, not to replace it.
Before you begin
PDMP sits on top of e-prescribing, so a few things need to be in place first.
eRx is set up for your workspace: your clinic is registered with DoseSpot and at least one clinician has finished identity verification.
Each prescriber has a DEA number for every state they prescribe in: PDMP access is granted against your registration in that state.
Your state shares PDMP data: a handful of states don't. See Check your state below.
Note: The whole process runs at the organisation level, not per clinician. One person from your practice applies on behalf of the organisation, and every prescriber gets access once the state approves. State approval usually takes two to four weeks and varies by state.
Note: You'll find a short version of these steps in Settings, then ePrescribe, then Workspace details, in the PDMP guide. Once all three steps are ticked, the workspace owner can hide the guide for everyone.
Check your state
Every state runs its own program, and access is granted state by state. Two things vary: who pays, and what the state allows the integration to return.
Who pays. In a state-funded program, the state covers the cost and you get reports and Narx Scores at no extra charge. In a non-funded state, Bamboo Health charges a fee to view Narx Scores, and you apply through a different route. See Step 1.
What comes back. Most states return the full report with Narx Scores. Some states are more restricted in what they allow through the integration.
Note: Bamboo Health keeps a current state funding and integration permissions map. Check it before you apply, because states move between categories. If you have locations in several states, you can apply for all of them in one application.
Step 1: Register with Bamboo Health (admin)
Bamboo Health is the PDMP partner behind DoseSpot. Your practice registers with them directly, for every state you prescribe controlled substances in. Which route you take depends on whether those states fund the program.
If your states are funded
Click Create an Account in the top right, then follow the prompts.
On the Organization screen, add every state where you have a location you want connected.
When asked for your EHR or software vendor, select DoseSpot.
Review and sign the agreements built into the application, then submit.
Note: You can save a part-finished application and come back to it later. In Tennessee, use the state's own integration request form instead. Customer Connect will point you there.
If your states aren't funded
Non-funded states aren't listed individually, so check the list of funded states first, then fill in the registration form.
After submitting, register for Bamboo Health's weekly information session. You'll also get an email invitation.
Bamboo Health will take you through contracting from there.
Once contracting is done, they submit your request to the state.
Step 2: Bamboo Health takes it to the state
Bamboo Health submits your registration to each state's PDMP administrator for review and approval. Your account shows as pending until that's done, and there's nothing to do at this stage.
Approval usually takes two to four weeks and varies by state. If you applied in several states, they may come back at different times. When a state approves you, Bamboo Health issues a PDMP username and password to your practice.
Step 3: Send your credentials to Carepatron (admin)
Forward the confirmation from Bamboo Health, including the PDMP username and password to support@carepatron.com. Tell us at the same time who should be the PDMP contact of record for your practice, with their name and email. We enter all four against your clinic so the integration can query the PDMP on your behalf. Nothing appears in the prescribing workflow until this is done.
Important: Credentials have to be entered exactly as issued. If a character is wrong the connection fails, and the account locks after three failed attempts, so send them to us rather than retyping them yourself.
Note: Already have a Bamboo Health account? If your practice was using PDMP with another system, you don't need to reapply. Ask Bamboo Health to name DoseSpot as your integration vendor, then send us your credentials and PDMP contact details and we'll connect them.
Step 4: Set each prescriber's PDMP role (workspace owner)
PDMP access is granted per clinician, not just per practice. Every prescriber who will view PDMP data needs a role that matches their licence type, because states control what each role is allowed to see.
Go to Settings, then ePrescribe, then Workspace details.
Find the prescriber in the list. Each row shows a PDMP chip beside its status.
Click the chip and choose the role that matches the prescriber's licence type.
Repeat for every prescriber, and for each proxy if your workspace uses proxies.
Note: Only the workspace owner can set a role. Other team members can see each prescriber's role but can't change it.
Important: You can change a role at any time, but you can't remove one from Carepatron. To remove a prescriber's PDMP role, contact support@carepatron.com.
Note: If a prescriber has no role set, they'll see a message where the Narx Scores should be, and no report link.
Viewing a PDMP report
Once PDMP is live, the report is available from the client's record while you're prescribing.
Go to Clients, select the client, then open the Medication tab.
Click + Request prescription to open DoseSpot.
In the left-hand navigation, click View Patient Narx Report.
The report opens in a new view. The Unintentional Overdose Risk Score and the three Narx Scores sit on the left, the factors driving the overdose score in the middle, and any state indicators on the right. The full dispensing history follows underneath.
A few things worth knowing
Report window: generated the moment you open it, covering a rolling two-year look-back. The exact range is printed at the top.
Score of 000: each Narx Score is shown with the number of active prescriptions in that category, so a score of 000 with no active scripts means no relevant dispensing history was found.
Status of States Queried: tells you which states responded to the request.
Closest match banner: if the client's details don't match a record exactly, open View Linked Records and confirm it's the right person before you rely on it.
Coverage: the report only covers states your practice is approved for, plus any states those programs share data with.
Two-factor authentication: checking the PDMP doesn't require it, even though sending a controlled substance does.
Troubleshooting
Match what you see to the list below.
"Error connecting to Appriss": the stored credentials don't match what Bamboo Health holds. Contact support@carepatron.com and don't keep retrying, because the account locks after three failed attempts.
"Narx Scores are not available because your or your clinician's PDMP role has not been set": the prescriber has no PDMP role. The workspace owner sets one in Step 4.
No report link at all: PDMP isn't enabled for your clinic yet, or your credentials haven't been added. Check where you are in Steps 1 to 3.
The report is empty or thinner than expected: the client may have no dispensing history in your approved states, or the state limits what it returns.
The report loads but scores are missing: some states don't permit Narx Scores. Check Bamboo Health's state map.
If none of these fit, send us the client's initials, the state, and the time you tried. We can trace the request from our side.
FAQs
Do I have to check the PDMP before prescribing?
That depends on your state. Many states require a check before prescribing certain controlled substances, and some require it for every prescription. Check your state's rules. Carepatron doesn't enforce them for you.
Does PDMP cost extra?
In a state-funded program, no. In a non-funded state, Bamboo Health charges a fee to view Narx Scores, arranged during contracting with them.
Do I need to apply separately for each clinician?
No. One application covers the organisation. Each prescriber does need a PDMP role, which the workspace owner sets in ePrescribe settings.
We have locations in several states. One application or several?
One. Add every state on the Organization screen when you apply.
Can I use PDMP without EPCS?
You need eRx set up and your identity verified. Sending controlled substances additionally requires two-factor authentication, but viewing a PDMP report doesn't.
A new prescriber joined. What do I do?
Enrol them in eRx as usual, then set their PDMP role in Settings, then ePrescribe, then Workspace details.
Can a clinician check the PDMP for a client in another state?
Only for states your practice is approved in. Some states also share data with neighbouring states, which widens what a report covers.
Does the PDMP check get recorded anywhere in the client's chart?
Not at the moment. Checks are recorded in DoseSpot.
Getting help
Start with us. Open a conversation through the Help channel in your workspace, or email support@carepatron.com. Anything to do with enabling PDMP, credentials, removing a prescriber's PDMP role, or the report not appearing is ours.
Bamboo Health handles the application itself, state approvals, contracting and billing in non-funded states. Submit a ticket at pmpgateway.zendesk.com, or call their technical support on 1-833-307-0310, available 24/7.
Your state PDMP administrator decides who gets access and what a report can show. If your application is taking longer than four weeks, that's usually where it sits.
Our team is here to help with any questions or concerns. Just open a conversation through the Help channel in your workspace, or reach out to support@carepatron.com.