KANSAS CITY, Mo. Cerner (Nasdaq: CERN), a global health platform and innovation company, and DrFirst, a leading provider of medication management and data solutions, are working together on a new and innovative offering to help providers tackle the opioid epidemic. By streamlining the connection from a persons electronic health record (EHR) to each states prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) database, physicians will have nationwide access to patient prescription drug information.With DrFirst, Cerner will be able to connect the EHR to PDMPs in 46 states and Washington, D.C., with other states expected as they become available. Prescription drug and dispensed information collected in these state-specific databases are used to inform safer prescribing, support drug education efforts, research drug addiction and prevent substance use disorder. Assisting physicians to more effectively and efficiently connect to PDMPs helps support safer pain management, identify and mitigate risk factors and more easily manage populations at high risk for substance use disorder.Access to prescription drug data within and across state lines can help identify and prevent drug-seeking behaviors, as well as inform physicians of a persons history to help avoid misuse and guide treatment decisions, said Eva Karp, senior vice president and chief clinical and patient safety officer, Cerner. At a time when the opioid epidemic continues to grow, its important that we transform health care for the patient, advancing smarter pain management and timely engagement with individuals to prevent or alleviate substance use disorder. Our work with DrFirst to expedite connections to PDMPs is part of our ongoing commitment to relentlessly seek breakthrough innovation to shape the health care of tomorrow.

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