NIEMBridging Information Systems 
Case Study 
California-Nevada Pilot Project 
NatioNal iNformatioN ExchaNgE modEl (NIEM) 
NIEMBridging Information Systems 
Case Study 
California-Nevada Pilot Project 
NatioNal iNformatioN ExchaNgE modEl (NIEM) 
Synopsis 
Prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) are state-sponsored 
initiatives aimed at addressing the diversion and abuse of 
prescription drugs. One of the first programs was established 
in California more than 60 years ago, but the entire initiative 
received a boost when, in 2002, Congress appropriated 
funds to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to support 
development of a national PMP capability. The purpose of 
this case study is to highlight the success of the pilot design of 
an interstate prescription monitoring information exchange 
(PMIX) program between California and Nevada. 
CALIFORNIA–NEVADA PILOT PROJECT PRESCRIPTION MONITORING 
INFORMATION EXCHANGE (PMIX) 
Executive Summary 
Challenge 
Pharmaceutical drug abuse is crossing state lines as offenders 
begin to realize the gap in interstate reporting. 
Solution 
The establishment of a prescription monitoring information 
exchange that would allow for the transfer of timely reports. 
Results 
The successful completion of a design test phase that produces 
a baseline standard for prescription monitoring information 
exchange, lessons learned, and several “firsts.” 
Agency Overview 
California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement—The California 
Triplicate Prescription Program (TPP) was created in 1940, 
becoming the first prescription monitoring program in the 
nation. The main function of the program was to monitor the 
dispensing of Schedule II drugs, and it did so by employing 
state-issued, triplicate prescription forms marked with 
serial numbers. It was not until 1998 that TPP transferred its 
operation to an electronic monitoring system. Following a 
restructuring of the entire program in 2003, the program 
changed its name to CURES and, a year later, ended its use of 
triplicate forms, switching to a more secure form. The program 
has since expanded to monitor Schedule II through IV drugs. 
CURES currently has more than 86 million records covering 
approximately 6,000 pharmacies and 150,000 practitioners 
and prescribers. 
Nevada Board of Pharmacy—The Nevada prescription 
monitoring program began in 1997, using a fax-based system 
to provide patient utilization reports. When the requests for 
these reports increased by more than 13,500 in just six years, 
the state of Nevada realized that the system could not handle 
the volume manually and moved to a Web-based program. 
The program has long been viewed as one of the best in the 
country and in 2004 was cited in President Bush’s National 
Drug Control Strategy document as an example of an effective 
statewide pharmaceutical drug monitoring program. 
Challenge 
As of December 2007, 35 states had enacted legislation that 
required the establishment of PMPs. Of those states, 26 are 
currently operating a PMP, and 9 are in the start-up phase. 
Additionally, 14 states are in the process of recommending, 
setting up, or taking into consideration a PMP. Many states 
still have not endorsed any sort of legislation to build a PMP, 
and some existing PMPs are still not technically advanced 
enough to capture the necessary information and provide 
it to the doctors who need it. The challenges are many, 
but for the purposes of this case study, the focus will be on 
sharing information across state lines. Offenders are now 
gradually realizing that while each state that runs a PMP may 
have information on activity within its own jurisdictions, 
this information is not being shared with other states. 
Consequently, the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs 
has now increased in scope as offenders seek alternative 
avenues within the limits of neighboring states. 

Issued 09/08 This project was supported by Grant No. 2007-NC-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration 
with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a 
component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, 
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this 
document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. www.NiEm.gov 
Solution 
The funds appropriated to DOJ have made it possible for the 
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), through the IJIS Institute, 
to start addressing the need for information sharing between 
individual state PMPs. This involves developing a standard for 
information exchange with the ultimate goal of implementing 
the standard and enabling state PMPs to share information to 
effectively combat the diversion of prescription drugs. 
Results 
Phase II of the PMIX pilot ended with the successful field-
testing of the Information Exchange Package Document (IEPD) 
and operational software needed for a baseline standard for 
information exchange between two state PMP systems. For 
the two states involved, the pilot spun off several benefits, 
including lessons learned on increasing the reusability of 
PMIX artifacts; a reusable IEPD and a concept-of-operations 
document; and adaptable implementation artifacts, including 
an architecture, a system design, and a software source code. 
Moreover, California had the opportunity to use its new DOJ 
multitier network security infrastructure, and the Nevada 
Board of Pharmacy, its new PMIX capabilities. 
Additionally, for the entire PMP community, this pilot 
represents the first: 
Electronic exchange of PMP data between two states. 
Electronic exchange of data between disparate domains 
(in this particular case, justice and public health). 
Exchange of data using Web services. 
Exchange design using the Business Process Engineering 
Language (BEPL) open standard. 
Exchange source code development enabled by BJA grant 
funding. 
Exchange commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) acquisition 
enabled by BJA grant funding. 
Implementation of an IEPD-based interstate transaction. 
For More Information 
PMP Project Manager, IJIS Institute, www.ijis.org, 
(703) 726-3697 
Katherine Ellis, California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, 
(916) 319-8463, kathy.ellis@doj.ca.gov 
Joanee Quirk, Nevada Board of Pharmacy, (775) 687-5694, 
jquirk@pharmacy.nv.gov 
Issued 09/08 This project was supported by Grant No. 2007-NC-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration 
with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a 
component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, 
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this 
document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. www.NiEm.gov 
Solution 
The funds appropriated to DOJ have made it possible for the 
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), through the IJIS Institute, 
to start addressing the need for information sharing between 
individual state PMPs. This involves developing a standard for 
information exchange with the ultimate goal of implementing 
the standard and enabling state PMPs to share information to 
effectively combat the diversion of prescription drugs. 
Results 
Phase II of the PMIX pilot ended with the successful field-
testing of the Information Exchange Package Document (IEPD) 
and operational software needed for a baseline standard for 
information exchange between two state PMP systems. For 
the two states involved, the pilot spun off several benefits, 
including lessons learned on increasing the reusability of 
PMIX artifacts; a reusable IEPD and a concept-of-operations 
document; and adaptable implementation artifacts, including 
an architecture, a system design, and a software source code. 
Moreover, California had the opportunity to use its new DOJ 
multitier network security infrastructure, and the Nevada 
Board of Pharmacy, its new PMIX capabilities. 
Additionally, for the entire PMP community, this pilot 
represents the first: 
Electronic exchange of PMP data between two states. 
Electronic exchange of data between disparate domains 
(in this particular case, justice and public health). 
Exchange of data using Web services. 
Exchange design using the Business Process Engineering 
Language (BEPL) open standard. 
Exchange source code development enabled by BJA grant 
funding. 
Exchange commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) acquisition 
enabled by BJA grant funding. 
Implementation of an IEPD-based interstate transaction. 
For More Information 
PMP Project Manager, IJIS Institute, www.ijis.org, 
(703) 726-3697 
Katherine Ellis, California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, 
(916) 319-8463, kathy.ellis@doj.ca.gov 
Joanee Quirk, Nevada Board of Pharmacy, (775) 687-5694, 
jquirk@pharmacy.nv.gov