Texas Health Data - Texas Prescription Monitoring Program

TEXAS PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM

For questions about this data, email texaspmp@pharmacy.texas.gov or call (512) 305-8050

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Summary

An interactive tool that shows controlled substance dispensing data for opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants by pharmacies in Texas and to Texas residents by pharmacies in a different state.

Data Source

Texas Board of Pharmacy

Data Description

The Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is an electronic database that collects and monitors prescription data for Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances dispensed by pharmacies in Texas, or to a Texas resident by a pharmacy in another state. PMP data are limited to outpatient dispensing and do not include inpatient dispensing or prescriptions for cancer-related pain. All PMP records for controlled substances are required to be reported to the Texas PMP within one business day of prescription fill.

Measures Information

Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) - Morphine milligram equivalents is a unit of measurement used to standardize and compare the potency of different opioids. It represents the equivalent amount of morphine in milligrams that provides the same pain-relieving effect as a specific dose of another opioid when used as prescribed. Converting opioid doses into MME helps standardize opioid dosing and account for differences in opioid type and strength. This standardization also supports identification of higher-dose prescribing patterns.

MME calculation formula:

MME/day = (Strength per unit × MME conversion factor) × (Quantity ÷ Days’ supply)

All components in the formula are aligned to compatible units prior to calculation to ensure accuracy.

MME conversion factors are assigned using the National Institute of Health (NIH) heal 2024 Conversion Ratio. This methodology replaced the prior Morphine milligram equivalent doses for commonly prescribed opioids for pain management(CDC) table used for MME calculations and was incorporated into the current dashboard update to expand opioid coverage.

Opioid Exclusions: The following opioid formulations present in the PMP datasets are excluded from the dashboard:

Powder formulations, which lack standardized units required for MME calculation.
Injectable opioid formulations, as their conversion factors differ from oral formulations, and their use in outpatient PMP data is infrequent.
Medications prescribed for medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which are not indicated for pain management.

Buprenorphine Inclusion:

Buprenorphine may be prescribed for both pain management and opioid use disorder treatment. For this dashboard, only Buprenorphine formulations for pain (e.g., Butrans, Belbuca) were included. Formulations commonly associated with opioid use disorder treatment were excluded by retaining only patches or extended-release products intended for pain management.

Rate

Rates are calculated per 1,000 Texas residents using the corresponding Texas or county population for the given year.

Rates included in this dashboard:

Number of prescriptions dispensed per 1,000 Texas residents
Number of patients who filled an opioid prescription per 1,000 persons

NDC Reference Files

A custom reference database of opioid National Drug Codes (NDCs) and corresponding MME values was developed by the Advanced Analytics Team within the Center for Health Statistics at the Texas Department of State Health Services.

This database reflects opioid National Drug Codes (NDCs) identified using the opioid flag variable and manual review of PMP datasets from 2019-2024, along with opioid NDCs obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Opioid National Drug Code and Oral MME Conversion File to ensure comprehensive capture of opioid products. Separate custom NDCs reference files were created for stimulants and benzodiazepines. Stimulant and benzodiazepine NDCs were identified using available drug flag variables and manual review of the PMP data. Additional stimulant and benzodiazepine NDCs were obtained from the CDC Opioid National Drug Code and Oral MME Conversion File.

All the reference data files for opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines will be updated as new PMP data becomes available.

For more information or questions about the methodology or database, please contact DSHS Advanced Analytics Team: aat@dshs.texas.gov