READ FIRST TIME 01/23/12.   

     AN ACT Relating to the prescription monitoring program; and amending RCW 70.225.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 70.225.020 and 2007 c 259 s 43 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) When sufficient funding is provided for such purpose through federal or private grants, or is appropriated by the legislature, the department shall establish and maintain a prescription monitoring program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedules II, III, IV, and V controlled substances and any additional drugs identified by the board of pharmacy as demonstrating a potential for abuse by all professionals licensed to prescribe or dispense such substances in this state. The program shall be designed to improve health care quality and effectiveness by reducing abuse of controlled substances, reducing duplicative prescribing and overprescribing of controlled substances, and improving controlled substance prescribing practices with the intent of eventually establishing an electronic database available in real time to dispensers and prescribers of ((control [controlled])) controlled substances. As much as possible, the department should establish a common database with other states.
     (2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, each dispenser shall submit to the department by electronic means information regarding each prescription dispensed for a drug included under subsection (1) of this section. Drug prescriptions for more than ((immediate)) one day use should be reported. The information submitted for each prescription shall include, but not be limited to:
     (a) Patient identifier;
     (b) Drug dispensed;
     (c) Date of dispensing;
     (d) Quantity dispensed;
     (e) Prescriber; and
     (f) Dispenser.
     (3) Each dispenser shall submit the information in accordance with transmission methods established by the department.
     (4) The data submission requirements of subsections (1) through (3) of this section do not apply to:
     (a) Medications provided to patients receiving inpatient services provided at hospitals licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW; or patients of such hospitals receiving services at the clinics, day surgery areas, or other settings within the hospital's license where the medications are administered in single doses; ((or))
     (b) Pharmacies operated by the department of corrections for the purpose of providing medications to offenders in department of corrections institutions who are receiving pharmaceutical services from a department of corrections pharmacy, except that the department of corrections must submit data related to each offender's current prescriptions for controlled substances upon the offender's release from a department of corrections institution; or
     (c) Veterinarians licensed under chapter 18.92 RCW. The department, in collaboration with the veterinary board of governors, shall establish alternative data reporting requirements for veterinarians that allow veterinarians to report:
     (i) By either electronic or nonelectronic methods;
     (ii) Only those data elements that are relevant to veterinary practices and necessary to accomplish the public protection goals of this chapter; and
     (iii) No more frequently than once every three months and no less frequently than once every six months.
     (5) The department shall seek federal grants to support the activities described in chapter 259, Laws of 2007. The department may not require a practitioner or a pharmacist to pay a fee or tax specifically dedicated to the operation of the system.