Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Veteran Prescription Safety Improvement Act”.
Veteran Prescription Safety Improvement Act
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve access of health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescription drug monitoring programs, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prescription drug monitoring programs and the Department of Veterans Affairs
Expansion of access of health care providers of the Department— Section 1730B of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), by striking “to covered patients”; and
in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
“(3) The term “licensed health care provider” means a health care provider who is—
“(A) an employee or contractor of the Department; and
“(B) licensed, certified, or registered by a State to fill or prescribe medication within the scope of practice for the Department.”
Guidance and training—
In general— Such section is further amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
“(b) Guidance and training
“(1) The Secretary shall issue guidance to pharmacy personnel of the Department (including licensed health care providers) that prescribes best practices for conducting a query described in subsection (a) upon receipt of a prescription for a controlled substance from a health care provider who provides health care to a veteran under section 1703 of this title.
“(2) The Secretary shall provide such pharmacy personnel with annual training on—
“(A) best practices prescribed under paragraph (1); and
“(B) the requirements of State and regional prescription drug monitoring programs.”
Implementation— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out subsection (b) of such section, as amended by this subsection, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Authorized disclosure of information— Subsection (l) of section 5701 of such title is amended to read as follows:
“(l) Under regulations prescribed the Secretary, the Secretary may disclose information about an individual to a State controlled substance monitoring program, including a program approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 399O of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g–3).”