Open Networks Inc. and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Receive the 2012 IJIS Institute Innovation Award

Asburn, VA, August 23, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission‐critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security, along with Emergency Management Magazine, sponsor of the Innovation Award, is pleased to announce that the organization’s fourth annual Innovation Award has been awarded to Open Networks and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics for their work on the Prescription Monitoring Information eXchange (PMIX) Program.

PMIX is a national initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and led by the IJIS Institute and its partner, the Alliance of States with Prescription Monitoring Programs. The goal of PMIX is to provide standards-based interoperability and necessary infrastructure to support the interstate sharing of controlled substance prescriptions for the purpose of reducing drug diversion and abuse. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Drug Abuse, seven million people (2.7 percent of the U.S. population) used psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically in 2010.

The Innovation Award recognizes technical innovation that has contributed significantly to the advancement of integration and interoperability in a justice, public safety or homeland security project or program. The Award, which is open to any company providing justice, public safety, or homeland security solutions, honors team achievement by an industry partner and a practitioner agency.

This year, due to the large number of innovative submissions for the Shumate Award, the IJIS Institute selected two Honorable Mentions. The first Honorable Mention went to the U.S. Park Police for its Multi-Agency Video Sharing During Large Events project, and the implementing industry partner SpectraRep. The second Honorable Mention went to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Data Exchange (IDEx) project, implemented by the Department’s industry partner, Crowe Horwath LLP.

This year’s Innovation Award was presented during the annual National Forum on Public Safety & Criminal Justice on July 27 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.

For more information about the Innovation Award, please visit http://www.ijis.org/_about/awards.html.