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2016 SESSION
16103620DBe it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 54.1-2522.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 54.1-2522.1. Requirements of prescribers.
A. Any prescriber who is licensed in the Commonwealth to treat human patients and is authorized pursuant to §§ 54.1-3303 and 54.1-3408 to issue a prescription for a covered substance shall be registered with the Prescription Monitoring Program by the Department of Health Professions.
B. Prescribers registered with the Prescription Monitoring
Program shall, at the time of
initiating a new course of treatment to a human patient that includes prior to
the prescribing of benzodiazepine or an opiate
anticipated at the onset of treatment to last more than 90
consecutive days, request information from the Director for
the purpose of determining what, if any, other covered substances are currently
prescribed to the patient. In addition, any prescriber who holds a special
identification number from the Drug Enforcement Administration authorizing the
prescribing of controlled substances approved for use in opioid addiction
therapy shall, prior to or
as a part of execution of a treatment agreement with the patient prescribing such
controlled substances, request information from the
Director for the purpose of determining what, if any, other covered substances
the patient is currently being prescribed. If the
prescribing of benzodiazepine or an opiate continues for more than 90 days
after the date of the initial prescription, the prescriber or his designee
shall request information about the recipient from
the Director in accordance with subsection C 2 of § 54.1-2523 at
least once every 90 days until the course of treatment has ended. Nothing
in this section shall prohibit prescribers from making additional periodic
requests for information from the Director as may be required by routine
prescribing practices.
C. The
Secretary of Health and Human Resources may identify and publish a list of
benzodiazepines or opiates that have a low potential for abuse by human
patients. Prescribers who prescribe such identified benzodiazepines or opiates
shall not be required to meet the provisions of subsection B. In addition, a A
prescriber shall not be required to meet the provisions of subsection B if the course of treatment arises from pain
management relating to dialysis or cancer treatments:
1. The benzodiazepine or opiate is prescribed to a patient currently receiving hospice or palliative care;
2. The benzodiazepine or opiate is prescribed to a patient as part of treatment for a surgical procedure and such prescription is not refillable; or
3. The Prescription Monitoring Program is not operational or available due to temporary technological or electrical failure or natural disaster.
2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2019.