The California Department of Justice maintains a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) known as the Controlled Substance Utilization, Review and Evaluation System (CURES); a database of Schedule II, III and IV controlled substance prescriptions dispensed in California serving public health, regulatory oversight, and law enforcement agencies. Click Here to Access the California Department of Justice CURES Website.

Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) are values assigned to different types of opioids, such as codeine and hydrocodone, to represent their relative potencies. MME is determined by using an equivalency factor specific to each type of opioid in order to calculate an equivalent dose of morphine.  Buprenorphine was excluded from calculations as it is most commonly used as a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders.  Methadone MAT was not excluded from calculations, as Methadone is a frequent factor in opioid overdose.

Together we can! Healthy Living in Butte County is using data derived from the CURES database to track the levels of MME prescribed in Butte County per capita on a quarterly basis.  This allows us to monitor our quarterly progress towards reaching the ultimate goal of reducing our MME prescribed per capita annually to national levels.