Indiana PDMP Data Request

HIJ Action Lab filed this request with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency of Indianapolis, IN.
Submitted Nov. 4, 2019
Est. Completion None
Status
Fix Required

Communications

From: HIJ Action Lab

Subject: Indiana Access to Public Records Act Request: Indiana PDMP Data Request

Email

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 INSPECT (Indiana Board of Pharmacy Prescription 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 Board of Pharmacy is using the INSPECT, and how it impacts public health and civil liberties in Indiana, Northeastern University’s Health in Justice Action Lab is making this request under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act § 5-14-3-1 et seq., for the following records:

1. Any and all records including information about the algorithm that determines risk scores in the INSPECT, including but not limited to its source code, developer documentation, and operator manuals;
2. Any and all research, technical reports, or internal audits that evaluate the Appriss risk assessment tool’s effectiveness or performance
3. De-identified records of algorithmic outputs (e.g. predictions or “red flags”);
4. Any record showing the number of patients in the INSPECT by quarter and year (2006-present); and
5. Any and all records showing how often law enforcement entities or individuals have requested information or records from the INSPECT, or made electronic queries of the system, including but not limited to what types of information or records have been requested, 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.

Because this request involves a matter of public concern and because it is made on behalf of a nonprofit organization, we ask that you waive any fees. If you decide not to waive fees, we request that you permit us to examine, at our election, the responsive documents before deciding which portions to transmit. We prefer the documents in electronic format.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 days.

Sincerely,
Sarah Seymour

From: Indiana Professional Licensing Agency

Subject: Re: Indiana Access to Public Records Act Request: Indiana PDMP Data Request

Email

Hello Ms. Seymour,

Please find attached the receipt of your Records Request from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. I've already forwarded on your request to our PDMP management team for their review and will be in touch with next steps.

Thank you,

Eric Sears
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency

Phone: (317) 234-3050

ESears@pla.in.gov<mailto:ESears@pla.in.gov>

From: Indiana Professional Licensing Agency

Subject: INSPECT Public Records Request

Email

To Whom It May Concern,

The INSPECT team has reviewed your public records request. All information received by the INSPECT program is confidential under IC 25-26-24-19. The Indiana Board of Pharmacy, as the governing body of the INSPECT program, is the only entity with the authority to grant your request. I have copied our Pharmacy Board Director, Laura Turner, and Assistant Director, Jody Edens, on this email. Please reach out to Jody to get on the agenda for an upcoming meeting. Beginning in January of 2022, all Indiana Pharmacy Board meetings will be held in person.

Prior to your board appearance, I would like to schedule a call to discuss this request. There are several items listed in your request that our agency is not authorized to provide because they belong to our PDMP vendor, Bamboo Health, and this would be a violation of the confidentiality agreement between Bamboo and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. We will not be able to provide any information regarding research, technical reports, audits or other documentation related to the algorithms used to determine patient risk scores.

Please let us know when you will be available for a call. Laura and I will get something scheduled.
Thanks,

Kara Slusser
Director of INSPECT
402 W. Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 234-8039

[IPLA logo - final - email]

[New INSPECT Logo]<http://www.inspect.in.gov/>

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