ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) - St. Charles County is joining a St. Louis regional drug monitoring program that seeks to reduce abuse of prescription painkillers.
The St. Charles County Council voted unanimously Monday to join the program, which will start early next year. The regional program comes after the Missouri Legislature has failed to establish a statewide monitoring program like those in the other 49 states.
The legislation will require pharmacies to submit to a database within seven business days information on prescriptions of certain controlled substances. The program allows doctors and dentists to consult the database before they prescribe medications.