NJ expands regional prescription drug partnership

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) -- Gov. Chris Christie is touting a growing partnership with neighboring states that aims to combat prescription drug abuse by allowing doctors to access data about patients' prescription drug histories.

Christie made the announcement Tuesday in New Brunswick. He spoke at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital after a meeting with doctors and pharmacists.

Direct data-sharing between New Jersey and Delaware actually began in June, while sharing with Connecticut began in May. A similar partnership with New York is in the works.

New Jersey's prescription monitoring program collects data on every prescription filled in the state for a host of controlled substances. About 41 percent of eligible prescribers and pharmacists have registered for access.

The Republican governor has made combatting drug addiction a signature issues as he weighs a run for president in 2016.

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