AN ACT relating to controlled substances; providing rulemaking authority related to the controlled substance prescription tracking program; amending program requirements as specified; and providing for an effective date.
Healthcare
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Representative Wilson
Last action
2020-03-12
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
3/12/2020
Plain English Breakdown
The official source material does not provide detailed information on enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance.
Rules for Prescription Tracking Program
This law gives the Board of Pharmacy rulemaking authority related to a prescription tracking program and requires doctors to check the program before prescribing certain controlled substances, including opioids every three months.
What This Bill Does
Gives the Board of Pharmacy the authority to create rules for a prescription tracking program.
Requires practitioners to search the prescription tracking program before issuing prescriptions for schedule II, III, IV or V controlled substances and every three months for prescribed opioids as long as they remain part of the patient's treatment.
Allows the Board of Pharmacy to survey how doctors use the tracking system and report misuse to other licensing boards.
Who It Names or Affects
Doctors who prescribe controlled substances
Pharmacists who fill prescriptions for controlled substances
Terms To Know
Controlled Substances
Drugs that are regulated by the government because they can be addictive or dangerous.
Prescription Tracking Program
A system used to monitor and track prescriptions for controlled substances to prevent misuse.
Limits and Unknowns
The bill does not specify all situations where exemptions might apply.
It is unclear how the new rules will be enforced or what penalties there are for non-compliance.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment changes how doctors and pharmacists must use a prescription tracking system for certain controlled substances, including more frequent checks for opioids.
Doctors prescribing schedule II, III, IV, or V controlled substances (except veterinarians) must check the prescription tracking program before issuing prescriptions and as needed based on best practices. For opioids, they must repeat these checks every three months.
Pharmacists dispensing these controlled substances must report to a board within one business day after dispensing them.
The amendment allows for exemptions from reporting requirements in certain situations, such as emergencies or minimal risk settings.
Some parts of the amendment are technical and may be hard to understand without additional context about specific medical practices and regulations.
Plain English: The amendment changes when a specific part of the prescription tracking program rules takes effect.
Changes the effective date for a section of the bill to be immediately upon completion of all necessary acts for a bill to become law, as stated in Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
Standing Committee • House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee
Adopted
Plain English: The amendment modifies and clarifies requirements for healthcare practitioners and dispensers regarding the prescription tracking program for controlled substances.
Adds new language requiring practitioners to search the prescription tracking program before prescribing certain controlled substances and periodically thereafter, with specific rules for schedule V opioids.
Specifies that dispensers must electronically file information about prescriptions for certain controlled substances within a day of dispensing them.
Allows the board to grant time extensions or provide exemptions from these requirements under certain circumstances.
The amendment text does not specify all details, such as exact penalties for non-compliance with the new rules.
Plain English: The amendment changes a single word in the bill to correct grammar.
Changes 'remains' to 'remain'.
This change is very minor and does not alter the meaning or requirements of the bill.
Bill History
2020-03-12LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 68
2020-03-12Governor
Governor Signed HEA No. 0042
2020-03-09Senate
S President Signed HEA No. 0042
2020-03-06House
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0042
2020-03-06LSO
Assigned Number HEA No. 0042
2020-03-06House
H Concur:Passed 58-0-2-0-0
2020-03-05House
H Received for Concurrence
2020-03-05Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-1-0-0-0
2020-03-04Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-03-03Senate
S COW:Passed
2020-03-02Senate
S Placed on General File
2020-03-02Senate
S10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2020-02-28Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor
2020-02-28Senate
S Received for Introduction
2020-02-27House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 55-4-1-0-0
2020-02-26House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-02-25House
H COW:Passed
2020-02-25House
H Placed on General File
2020-02-25House
H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-3-0-0-0
2020-02-11House
H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor 59-0-1-0-0
2020-02-07House
H Received for Introduction
2020-02-03LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 20LSO-0405
Bill No.:
HB0085
Effective:
Immediately
LSO No.:
20LSO-0405
Enrolled Act No.:
HEA No. 0042
Chapter No.:
68
Prime Sponsor:
Wilson
Catch Title:
Prescription tracking program rules.
Subject:
Prescription tracking program administration.
Summary/Major Elements:
The act provides the Board of Pharmacy rulemaking authority related to the prescription tracking program and specifies that the rules may apply to practitioners, pharmacists and others who are authorized to use the tracking program.
The act also amends the requirements for use of the prescription tracking program by requiring a practitioner to search the prescription tracking program as needed when making non-opioid prescriptions based on best practices for controlled substances other than opioids, and every three months for prescribed opioids for as long as the opioids remain a part of the patient's treatment.
The bill authorizes the Board of Pharmacy to survey use of the prescription tracking program and report inappropriate use to the professional licensing board of any offending practitioner.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0405
ORIGINAL House
ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0085
ENROLLED ACT NO. 42,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session
AN ACT relating to controlled substances; providing rulemaking authority related to the controlled substance prescription tracking program; amending program requirements as specified; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 35
‑
7
‑
1060(a), (b) and by creating a new subsection (f) is amended to read:
35
‑
7
‑
1060.
Controlled substance prescription tracking program.
(a)
In addition to other duties and responsibilities as provided by this act, the board shall maintain a computerized program to track prescriptions for controlled substances for the purposes of assisting patients, practitioners and pharmacists to avoid inappropriate use of controlled substances and of assisting with the identification of illegal activity related to the dispensing of controlled substances. The tracking program and any data created thereby shall be administered by the board, and the board may charge reasonable fees to help defray the costs of operating the program. Any fee shall be included with and in addition to other registration fees established by the board as authorized in W.S. 35
‑
7
‑
1023.
The board shall promulgate rules to administer the tracking program under this section. Rules adopted under this subsection may specify requirements and procedures for practitioners, pharmacists and any other person authorized or required to use the tracking program.
(b)
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, when a practitioner, other than a veterinarian, prescribes
a schedule II, III, IV or V controlled substance, the practitioner or his delegate shall search the prescription tracking program for prior prescriptions issued to the patient before first issuing the prescription and
as needed thereafter based on current best practice guidelines for the practitioner's licensed profession, except for prescribed opioids for which the practitioner or his delegate
shall repeat the search every three (3) months thereafter for as long as the
controlled substance remains
prescribed opioids remain
a part of the patient's treatment. A practitioner who prescribes a schedule V controlled substance shall only be required to search the program as otherwise provided in this subsection if the substance is an opioid. A dispenser, other than a veterinarian, shall electronically file with the board information regarding any prescription for a schedule II, III, IV or V controlled substance dispensed by the dispenser no later than the close of business on the business day immediately following the day the controlled substance was dispensed. The board may grant a reasonable time extension to a dispenser or practitioner who is unable to electronically file or search information as required under this subsection. The board may require the filing of other prescriptions and may specify the manner in which the prescriptions are filed. The board may, by rule and regulation, provide exemptions from the requirements of this subsection including
but not limited to
exemptions for prescriptions dispensed in certain inpatient health care settings
, for settings where the risk for diversion or misuse of medication is found by the board to be minimal
and exemptions for emergencies and other situations as determined by the board in consultation with other professional licensing boards that license practitioners who are affected by the requirements of this subsection.
(f)
The board may conduct a survey or audit of a practitioner's usage of the state computerized program to track prescriptions in relation to the practitioner's prescribing patterns. If the board finds low or inappropriate usage of the program the board shall report its findings to the practitioner's professional licensing board.
Section 2.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.
Chief Clerk
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