JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) -- Missouri had the dubious distinction of being the only state in the country to not have a prescription drug monitoring program.
That changed on Monday when Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill into law that had been defeated in the Legislature for a decade.
"This is another tool we're going to use when it comes to the fight against opioid (abuse)," Gov. Parson said.
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The prescription drug monitoring bill establishes a joint task force made up of medical professionals who will establish one database. They will also contract with a vendor to obtain patient information.
That patient data must be purged regularly and can only be kept for three years. It also cannot be used by law enforcement to stop someone from getting a gun.
The law goes into effect on August 28.
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