,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #afeg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #f1 #bjac,mr4 ,udall of ,new ,mexico introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,increasing the ,safety of ,prescription ,drug ,use ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,prescription drug monitoring program 7a7 ,controlled substance monitoring program ,section #cii,o of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdc;g-#c7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7e71 by adding at the end the following3 7#e7 ,the ,state shall-- 7,a7 ensure that the database-- 7i7 is interoperable with the controlled substance monitoring program of other ,states and other ,federal agencies and across appropriate ,state agencies1 including health agencies1 as determined by the ,secretary2 7ii7 is interoperable with electronic health records and e-prescribing1 where appropriate2 and 7iii7 provides automatic1 real-time or daily information about a patient when a practitioner 7or the designee of a practitioner1 where permitted7 requests information about such patient2 7,b7 require practitioners to use ,state database information to help determine whether to prescribe or renew a prescription for a controlled substance2 and 7,c7 require dispensers1 or their designees1 where permitted1 to enter data required by the ,secretary1 including the name of the patient1 the date1 and prescription dose1 into the database for a controlled substance4 7#f7 ,notwithstanding section #edc and any other provision of law1 the data required to be entered under paragraph 7#e77;,c7 shall include information with respect to methadone that is dispensed to a patient1 if applicable4 7#g7 ,the ,state shall ensure that-- 7,a7 any person who receives patient information through the database may disclose and use such information only to carry out the official duties of that person with regard to the patient2 and 7,b7 notwithstanding subsection 7f77#a77;,b71 no information kept in accordance with a database developed or maintained through a grant under this section may be used to conduct a criminal investigation or substantiate any criminal charges against a patient or to conduct any investigation of a patient relating to methadone use of the patient4 2 and 7#b7 in subsection 7n71 by striking ,to carry out this section and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ,there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years #bjad through #bjah such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section44 7b7 ,confidentiality of records ,section #edc7;a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;dd-#b7;a77 is amended by inserting or1 with respect to methadone1 as required under section #cii,o7e77#f7 before the period at the end4 7c7 ,requirements for ,federal health care programs ,health care practitioners 7as defined in paragraph 7#g7 of section #cii,o7m7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;g-#c7m777 and dispensers 7as defined in paragraph 7#d7 of such section7 who participate in or are employed by a ,federal health care program or federally funded health care program1 including the ,indian ,health ,service1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 the ,department of ,defense1 the ,federal ,bureau of ,prisons1 the ,medicare program under title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq471 a ,state ,medicaid plan under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471 the ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program under title ,,xxi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;aa et seq471 and ,federally qualified health centers1 shall use the databases of the controlled substance monitoring programs under section #cii,o of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;g-#c71 if such databases are available to the practitioner or dispenser4 #c4 ,pilot project 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this subsection as the ,secretary7 shall award grants to one or more ,states to carry out a #a-year pilot project to develop a standardized peer review process and methodology to review and evaluate prescribing and pharmacy dispensing patterns1 through a review of prescription drug monitoring programs 7referred to in this section as ,,pdmp7 in the ,states receiving such grants4 7b7 ,methodology ,the recipients of a grant under this section shall develop a systematic1 standardized methodology to identify and investigate questionable or inappropriate prescribing and dispensing patterns of substances on schedule ,,ii or ,,iii under section #bjb of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab74 ,such peer review methodology and prescribing and dispensing patterns shall be shared with the appropriate ,state health profession board4 7c7 ,requirements ,a ,state receiving a grant under this section shall-- 7#a7 with respect to controlled substances for which a prescriber is required to have a license issued by the ,drug ,enforcement ,administration in order to prescribe such controlled substances1 make the information with respect to such controlled substances from the ,,pdmp available to ,state regulation and licensing boards2 and 7#b7 with respect to any other controlled substances1 may make the information with respect to such controlled substances from the ,,pdmp available to ,state regulation and licensing boards4 7d7 ,subgrantees ,a quality improvement organization with which the ,secretary has entered into a contract under part ,b of title ,,xi of the ,social ,security ,act may serve as the subgrantee under this subsection to develop peer review processes as described in subsection 7a74 #d4 ,prescription drug and other controlled substance abuse prevention ,part ,p of title ,,iii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;g7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cii,v-#f4 ,prescription drug and other controlled substance abuse prevention 7a7 ,training grants 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award #e-year grants to eligible entities to facilitate training in order to increase the capacity of health care providers to conduct patient screening and brief interventions1 such as in health care settings to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs and other controlled substances4 ,the grant program under this section may be coordinated with the ,screening ,brief ,intervention and ,referral to ,treatment grant program of the ,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health ,services ,administration1 or other appropriate program4 7#b7 ,eligible entities ,in this subsection1 the term eligible entity includes-- 7,a7 ,states2 7,b7 continuing education entities1 such as health profession boards or health accrediting bodies2 and 7,c7 other appropriate health or professional education organizations or institutions4 7b7 ,federal health care workers ,health care providers who participate in or are employed by a ,federal health care program1 including the ,indian ,health ,service1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 the ,department of ,defense1 the ,federal ,bureau of ,prisons1 the ,medicare program under title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq471 a ,state ,medicaid plan under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471 the ,state ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program under title ,,xxi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;aa et seq471 and ,federally qualified health centers1 shall screen patients for abuse of prescription drugs or other controlled substances1 conduct brief interventions1 and provide referrals for known or suspected abuse of prescription drugs or other controlled substances1 as appropriate4 7c7 ,expansion of prescribing authority ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration1 shall award grants to ,states for the purpose of evaluating the prospect of the health professions board of such ,states reviewing and expanding prescribing authorities of providers1 such as advance practice nurses and physician's assistants1 in order to control the abuse of prescription drugs or other controlled substances with respect to specific drugs and other controlled substances1 as appropriate4 4 #e4 ,prescription drug abuse training and screening programs 7a7 ,continuing education grants ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary7 shall award grants to ,states to develop continuing education criteria and review processes that allow ,state health profession boards or ,state agencies to certify appropriate education and training for informed and safe prescribing of opioids and other drugs on schedule ,,ii and ,,iii under section #bjb of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab74 7b7 ,registration with ,,dea ,a practitioner who registers or renews a registration under section #cjc7;f7 of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hbc7;f77 shall1 at the time of registering1 certify to the ,attorney ,general that such practitioner has completed continuing medical education-- 7#a7 in the case of a practitioner registering for the first time1 with respect to prescription drug abuse2 and 7#b7 in the case of a practitioner renewing a registration1 with respect to medical understanding of the proper use of all drugs listed in the schedules under section #bjb of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab74 7c7 ,screening program ,the ,attorney ,general shall require that a practitioner registered under section #cjc7;f7 of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hbc7;f77 conduct patient screening for potential drug misuse or abuse before prescribing a drug listed on schedule ,,ii or ,,iii under section #bjb of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab71 according to standards established by the applicable ,state licensing body4 #f4 ,,fda review of naloxone ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,commissioner of ,food and ,drugs1 shall conduct a review of naloxone to consider whether naloxone should cease to be subject to section #ejc7;b7 of the ,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cec7;b77 and be available as a behind-the-counter drug1 in order to increase access of such drug to community-based organizations and street outreach organizations4 #g4 ,prescription drug disposal ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall convene or coordinate with an existing entity an interagency working group to encourage ,states and local governments to increase opportunities for disposal of opiates1 such as frequent take-back programs and fixed medicine disposal sites at law enforcement public buildings1 and to reduce opportunities for abuse of opiates1 such as establishing opioid dispensing limits at hospital emergency departments4 #h4 ,,gao report ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall review prescription drug abuse programs and policies in ,federal agencies and best practices with respect to prescription drug abuse programs of the ,states and1 not later than #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 shall issue a report to ,congress on its findings and recommendations on ways to reduce prescription drug abuse4