K-TRACS is the prescription drug monitoring program for the state of Kansas. It is used by prescribers and pharmacists as a clinical decision-making tool to promote patient safety and healthy communities through prevention of prescription drug misuse, abuse and diversion.
Established by KSA 65-1683, K-TRACS contains prescription drug data on all Kansas patients receiving controlled substances. Pharmacies are required to report the controlled substances and other drugs of concern they dispense to K-TRACS on a daily basis.
Prescribers and pharmacists use K-TRACS to evaluate patients’ prescription drug history. Equipped with this information and used in combination with other medical history and assessments, prescribers and pharmacists can inform clinical decisions and engage patients in conversations that promote health and safety.
Total prescriptions for opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines have decreased 4.5% from 2016 to 2019.
Opioids (13% decrease)
Benzodiazepines (14% decrease)
Stimulants (6% increase)
Kansas has experienced a 27% increase in drug-related overdose deaths, from all drug types, from 2016 to 2019.
Overdose deaths related to prescription opioids (not including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl or semi-synthetic opioids such as methadone) have decreased 17% during the same time frame.
Source: KDHE
Overdose deaths attributed to all drug types
Overdose deaths attributed to prescription opioids
"Doctor shopping" behavior is defined by K-TRACS as patients who visit 5 or more prescribers and 5 or more pharmacies within 90 days.
There has been a 43% decrease in patients with "doctor shopping" behavior characteristics from the first quarter of 2018 to the last quarter of 2019.
Healthcare providers can prioritize patient safety by checking K-TRACS before writing or filling any controlled substance prescription. Checking K-TRACS helps prescribers and pharmacists:
Healthcare providers can contribute to creating healthy communities by:
The K-TRACS Provider Toolkit can be used for your local prevention efforts. The toolkit contains a variety of materials promoting patient safety, health and K-TRACS usage. You choose which materials work best for you.