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 K, §1, is repealed.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.

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