An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Substance Abuse Services Commission with Regard to the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program is an important tool for prescribers of controlled substances to use to prevent and detect prescription drug misuse and diversion and improve patient care through better coordination of care; and

Whereas,  timely enrollment in the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program and ongoing education of prescribers to use the program are fundamental to its success; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §7249, sub-§5,  as enacted by PL 2011, c. 477, Pt. K, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 2. Online applications and renewals for prescribers of controlled substances; electronic coding; access for prescribers and their delegates. The Department of Health and Human Services, Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program, referred to in this section as "the program," shall update the enrollment mechanism for prescribers of controlled substances who are registering with the program or are renewing registration. The update must enable prescribers to be enrolled in the program automatically when applying for or renewing a professional license and must establish the electronic code necessary to update the program's computer system accordingly. The update must allow a federal Drug Enforcement Administration number to be entered during the online application or renewal process and must notify an applicant that in providing the federal number the applicant is automatically registered with the program. The program shall update its computer system to allow subaccount holders and delegated account holders access to the database using the online application process. The program shall update its computer system to enable licensing data to be extracted on a scheduled basis from the agency licensing management system and securely transferred to the program in order to enroll in the program unregistered licensees who have federal Drug Enforcement Administration numbers and e-mail addresses.

Sec. 3. Outside funding. If the Department of Health and Human Services finds that sufficient funding to fund the update under section 2 is not available to the department for that purpose, the department may seek and may accept outside funding necessary to complete the update under section 2.

Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY BDS)

Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 0679

Initiative: Provides one-time funding for the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program for computer system development costs including funds for system code for online application and renewal registration and to enable subaccount holders and delegated account holders access to the program database.

GENERAL FUND	2013-14	2014-15
All Other	$0	$16,150
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$16,150

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill implements the recommendations of the Substance Abuse Services Commission with regard to the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program pursuant to Resolve 2013, chapter 25. The bill is the unanimous report of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and is reported out of committee pursuant to Joint Rule 353. The bill repeals provisions of the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program that pertain to specific participation requirements. It appropriates funding to enable the Department of Health and Human Services to update the monitoring program's online enrollment mechanism for prescribers of controlled substances and directs the department to take action to enable those prescribers to renew professional applications online. It appropriates funding to implement electronic coding necessary to update the monitoring program's computer system. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to seek outside funding if funding is insufficient to complete the update.