PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Licensed health care providers who work for the Department, and the people or automated systems they supervise, must be allowed to check and receive information from the nationwide connection of State prescription drug monitoring programs, or from a State or regional program if that State is not in the nationwide system. They must make those checks under Veterans Health Administration rules. A State cannot block this access or punish a provider (for example, by revoking a license or registration) for checking or trying to check these programs. Definitions (one line each): controlled substance — as defined in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)); delegate — a person or automated system acting under a provider’s supervision; licensed health care provider — a Department-employed provider allowed by a State to prescribe or fill medicines; national network — the system that shares prescription monitoring data across States; State — a State or its political subdivision.

Title 38, §1730B

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Access to Programs.—

(1)Any licensed health care provider or delegate of such a provider shall be considered an authorized recipient or user for the purpose of querying and receiving data from the national network of State-based prescription drug monitoring programs, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program, to support the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances to covered patients.

(2)Under the authority granted by paragraph (1)—

(A)licensed health care providers or delegates of such providers shall query the national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs, or, if providing care in a State that does not participate in such national network, an individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program, in accordance with applicable regulations and policies of the Veterans Health Administration; and

(B)notwithstanding any general or specific provision of law, rule, or regulation of a State, no State may restrict the access of licensed health care providers or delegates of such providers from accessing that State’s prescription drug monitoring programs.

(3)No State shall deny or revoke the license, registration, or certification of a licensed health care provider or delegate who otherwise meets that State’s qualifications for holding the license, registration, or certification on the basis that the licensed health care provider or delegate queried or received data, or attempted to query or receive data, from the national network of State-based prescription drug monitoring programs, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program, under this section.

(b)Covered Patients.—

For purposes of this section, a covered patient is a patient who—

(1)receives a prescription for a controlled substance; and

(2)is not receiving palliative care or enrolled in hospice care.

(c)Definitions.—

In this section: (1)

(2)The term “delegate” means a person or automated system accessing the national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program, at the direction or under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.

(3)The term “licensed health care provider” means a health care provider employed by the Department who is licensed, certified, or registered within any State to fill or prescribe medications within the scope of his or her practice as a Department employee.

(4)The term “national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs” means an interconnected nation-wide system that facilitates the transfer to State prescription drug monitoring program data across State lines.

(5)The term “State” means a State, as defined in section 101(20) of this title, or a political subdivision of a State.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–251, § 206(1)(A), inserted “, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program,” after “programs”. Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 115–251, § 206(1)(B), substituted “the national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs, or, if providing care in a State that does not participate in such national network, an individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program,” for “such network”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 115–251, § 206(1)(C), which directed “inserting ‘, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program,’ after programs”, was executed by inserting the quoted text after “programs” as if that word had been enclosed in quotation marks in the directory language, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–251, § 206(2), inserted “, or any individual State or regional prescription drug monitoring program,” after “programs”.

§1730B Access to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

Summary

Title 38, §1730B

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata