Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Health Care & Wellness Committee |
HB 2730
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. |
Brief Description: Concerning the prescription drug monitoring program.
Sponsors: Representatives Peterson, Walkinshaw, Ortiz-Self, Bergquist, Kagi, Gregerson, Kilduff, Frame and Pollet.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 1/26/16
Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).
Background:
The Prescription Monitoring Program.
The Department of Health (DOH) maintains a prescription monitoring program (PMP) to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances and other drugs that demonstrate a potential for abuse. Each time one of these drugs is dispensed, the dispenser must electronically submit the following information to the PMP:
a patient identifier;
the drug dispensed;
the dispensing date;
the quantity dispensed;
the prescriber; and
the dispenser.
Prescribers are not required to query the PMP prior to prescribing a controlled substance. Data in the PMP may be accessed by the following people:
a person authorized to prescribe or dispense a controlled substance for the purpose of providing medical or pharmaceutical care for his or her patients;
a person requesting his or her own PMP information;
a health professional licensing, certification, or regulatory agency;
an appropriate law enforcement or prosecutorial officials;
an 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 (or designee) regarding workers' compensation claimants;
the secretary of the Department of Corrections (or designee) regarding offenders in the custody of the Department of Corrections;
an entity under grand jury subpoena or court order;
personnel of the DOH for administration of the PMP or the Uniform Controlled Substances Act; and
certain medical test sites licensed by the DOH.
The Health Information Exchange.
A Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a secure way for health care organizations to share messages and clinical information. Washington's HIE, established through grant funding from the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, is operated by OneHealthPort, a lead organization designated by the Health Care Authority. To participate in the HIE, organizations must sign a participation agreement and pay a subscription fee.
Summary of Bill:
A prescriber must utilize the PMP prior to initially prescribing any Schedule II or III controlled substance for the treatment of non-cancer chronic or intractable pain.
Access to the PMP is expanded to include:
prescribers of legend drugs; and
personnel of a health care facility or entity for the purpose of providing medical or pharmaceutical care to the patients of the facility or entity if (1) the facility or entity is licensed by the DOH, (2) the facility or entity is a trading partner with the HIE, and (3) the personnel are subscribers of the HIE—these personnel may receive data from the PMP without individually registering with the DOH.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 21, 2016.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.