FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5027

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

C 259 L 15

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Providing access to the prescription drug monitoring database for clinical laboratories.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Senators Angel, Darneille, Dammeier, Keiser, Parlette, Cleveland, Bailey and Chase).

Senate Committee on Health Care

House Committee on Health Care & Wellness

Background: In 2007 the Department of Health (DOH) was authorized to establish and maintain a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedules II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. Information submitted for each prescription must include at least a patient identifier, the drug dispensed, the date of dispensing, the quantity dispensed, the prescriber, and the dispenser. With certain exceptions, prescription information submitted to DOH is confidential. The exceptions allow DOH to provide data in the Prescription Monitoring Program to the following: persons authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances; an individual who requests the individual's own records; health professional licensing, certification, or regulatory agencies; law enforcement officials who are engaged in bona fide specific investigations involving a designated person; authorized practitioners of the Department of Social and Health Services and the Health Care Authority regarding Medicaid recipients; the Director of the Department of Labor and Industries regarding workers' compensation claimants; the Director of the Department of Corrections regarding committed offenders; entities under court order; and DOH personnel for the purposes of administering the program. Data may also be provided to public or private entities for statistical, research, or educational purposes after removing identifying information.

Test sites are facilities that analyze materials derived from the human body for the purposes of health care, treatment, or screening. Test sites are licensed by DOH and must meet quality control, quality assurance, recordkeeping, and personnel requirements established by DOH and federal law.

Summary: DOH may provide data in the PMP to personnel of a test site if:

Test sites may not store, share, or sell data accessed from the PMP database. The data may only be transmitted to prescribing health care practitioners for the purpose of caring for their patients. A responsible person, as designated by the Administration, must supervise the test site's access to data.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate

49

0

House

77

20

(House amended)

Senate

42

2

(Senate concurred)

Effective:

July 24, 2015