OBJECTIVES: To elicit modal salient behavioral beliefs, normative referents and control beliefs of pharmacists regarding their intention to utilize online accessible prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data when the validity of the prescription or patient need is in question.  METHODS: One hour focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of central Texas community pharmacists with varied backgrounds and experiences.  The theory of planned behavior was used as the theoretical framework for the focus group guide, which consisted of nine open-ended questions to capture PDMP advantages/disadvantages, important influencers of utilization, and perceived facilitators or barriers.  Content analysis was performed on participants’ written responses to questions and focus groups’ transcripts. RESULTS: Three focus groups (Total N = 23) were conducted.  Nine behavioral beliefs, eight normative referents and eight control beliefs were identified from the focus groups.  Regarding advantages/disadvantages, pharmacists most frequently mentioned that PDMP utilization would ensure appropriate controlled medication therapy and prevent diversion.  However, pharmacists were fearful of potential increased liability as a result of having access to patients’ controlled medication data.  Important individuals or groups that pharmacists identified as influential to their decision to utilize PDMP data were regulatory agencies (e.g., board of pharmacy), prescribers and pharmacy employers.  The most important belief that would facilitate PDMP utilization was interfacing the PDMP database with their existing pharmacy software.  The most frequently mentioned barrier was lack of time to access data. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of items that may influence pharmacists’ utilization of PDMP data when dispensing controlled medications may be helpful to PDMP administrators’ implementation of online accessible PDMPs.  Increased utilization of PDMPs by pharmacists may lead to a decrease in morbidity and mortality associated with controlled medication therapy.