Access To Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

The bill modifies provisions relating to licensed health professionals' access to the electronic prescription drug monitoring program as follows:

• Allows a health care provider who has authority to prescribe controlled substances, or the provider's designee, to query the program regarding a current patient, regardless of whether the provider is prescribing or considering prescribing a controlled substance to that patient;
• Specifies that a veterinarian who is authorized to prescribe controlled substances may access the program to inquire about a current patient or client if the veterinarian suspects that the client has committed drug abuse or mistreated an animal; and
• Specifies that, in addition to accessing the program when dispensing or considering dispensing a controlled substance, a pharmacist or designee of the pharmacist may access the program regarding a current patient to whom the pharmacist is dispensing or considering dispensing a prescription drug.
  (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)