Hawaii PDMP Data Request

To Whom it May Concern,

Northeastern University’s School of Social Justice and Health Equity is interested in the state’s prescription monitoring program, the Hawaii Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Specifically, we want to learn more about law enforcement access to the database, the use of an algorithm that produces a risk assessment score to analyze its contents, and the data access and retention rules governing the system. We understand the algorithm was produced by the corporation Appriss Health.

In order to permit the public to understand how the State of Hawaii Department of Public Safety is using the HI PDMP, and how it impacts public health and civil liberties in Hawaii, Northeastern University’s Health in Justice Action Lab is making this request under the Hawaii Open Records Law § 91-1 et seq., for the following records:

1. Any and all memoranda of understanding between the State of Hawaii Department of Public Safety and any outside entity regarding the HI PDMP (e.g. Pharmacy MOUs, NABP MOUs);
2. Any and all research, technical reports, or internal audits that evaluate the AWARxE's risk assessment tool’s effectiveness or performance
5. Any records of de-identified red flag notifications specific to AWARxE (e.g. Additional Risk Indicators or threshold reports) and patient behavioral red flags (e.g., anxious patient demeanor, distance between prescriber and dispenser) with prescriber/dispenser training documentation on how to address the red flags;
6. Any record showing the number of patient profiles in the PDMP by quarter and year (2006-present);
7. Public health impact analysis: Any records containing the overseeing body of the PDMP’s analysis of whether and/or how the PDMP has impacted public health in the state (e.g. decrease or increase in prescription overdose rates, multiple prescriber episodes, MME per capita, etc.) over time;
8. Any records showing the number of requests for records from the PDMP by law enforcement, or the number of electronic queries of the PDMP system made by law enforcement, which agencies have made the requests, the percent of requests that were accepted versus denied, temporal trends, the form of the request (e.g. subpoena, warrant, etc.), and whether the requests were granted or denied.

Should you determine that some portion of the documents requested are exempt from disclosure, please release any reasonably segregable portions that are not exempt. In addition, please note the applicable statutory exemption and explain why it applies to the redacted portions. As you know, a custodian of public records shall comply with a request within ten days after receipt.

Thank you for your assistance. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Sarah Seymour