GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Nearly two million dollars has been awarded by the DOJ to help combat the opioid epidemic in Wisconsin.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced that the U.S.Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) a $1,945,652 grant to improve the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP).

The grant will be used to improve the program by increasing its security, user-satisfaction, and adoption.

“For far too many Wisconsinites, the opioid epidemic hits close to home. Our state relies on the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to combat prescription drug abuse, and this announcement will help ensure that DSPS has the resources it needs to improve this tool,” says Rep. Gallagher.

According to a release, the Wisconsin ePDMP is a highly successful tool that more than 55,000 licensed healthcare professionals use more than 650,000 times each month to help combat drug abuse in Wisconsin.