S.B. No. 1643

AN ACT

relating to the monitoring of prescriptions for certain controlled substances; providing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 481.002, Health and Safety Code, is amended by amending Subdivisions (20) and (32) and adding Subdivision (54) to read as follows:

(20) "Hospital" means:

(A) a general or special hospital as defined by Section 241.003 [(Texas Hospital Licensing Law)]; [or]

(B) an ambulatory surgical center licensed under Chapter 243 [by the Texas Department of Health] and approved by the federal government to perform surgery paid by Medicaid on patients admitted for a period of not more than 24 hours; or

(C) a freestanding emergency medical care facility licensed under Chapter 254.

(32) "Patient" means a human for whom or an animal for which a drug:

(A) is administered, dispensed, delivered, or prescribed by a practitioner; or

(B) is intended to be administered, dispensed, delivered, or prescribed by a practitioner.

(54) "Health information exchange" means an organization that:

(A) assists in the transmission or receipt of health-related information among organizations transmitting or receiving the information according to nationally recognized standards and under an express written agreement;

(B) as a primary business function, compiles or organizes health-related information that is designed to be securely transmitted by the organization among physicians, health care providers, or entities within a region, state, community, or hospital system; or

(C) assists in the transmission or receipt of electronic health-related information among physicians, health care providers, or entities within:

(i) a hospital system;

(ii) a physician organization;

(iii) a health care collaborative, as defined by Section 848.001, Insurance Code;

(iv) an accountable care organization participating in the Pioneer Model under the initiative by the Innovation Center of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; or

(v) an accountable care organization participating in the Medicare shared savings program under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395jjj.

SECTION 2. Section 481.076, Health and Safety Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a) and (e) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:

(a) The director may not permit any person to have access to information submitted to the director under Section 481.074(q) or 481.075 except:

(1) an investigator for the Texas Medical Board, the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, the State Board of Dental Examiners, the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, the Texas Board of Nursing, or the Texas State Board of Pharmacy;

(2) an authorized officer or member of the department engaged in the administration, investigation, or enforcement of this chapter or another law governing illicit drugs in this state or another state; or

(3) if the director finds that proper need has been shown to the director:

(A) a law enforcement or prosecutorial official engaged in the administration, investigation, or enforcement of this chapter or another law governing illicit drugs in this state or another state;

(B) a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, as defined by Section 551.003, Occupations Code, acting at the direction of a pharmacist or a practitioner who is a physician, dentist, veterinarian, podiatrist, or advanced practice nurse or is a physician assistant described by Section 481.002(39)(D) or a nurse licensed under Chapter 301, Occupations Code, acting at the direction of a practitioner and is inquiring about a recent Schedule II, III, IV, or V prescription history of a particular patient of the practitioner; or

(C) a pharmacist or practitioner who is inquiring about the person's own dispensing or prescribing activity.

(a-1) A person authorized to receive information under Subsection (a)(3)(B) or (C) may access that information through a health information exchange, subject to proper security measures to ensure against disclosure to unauthorized persons.

(a-2) A person authorized to receive information under Subsection (a)(3)(B) may include that information in any form in the medical or pharmacy record of the patient who is the subject of the information. Any information included in a patient's medical or pharmacy record under this subsection is subject to any applicable state or federal confidentiality or privacy laws.

(e) The director shall remove from the information retrieval system, destroy, and make irretrievable the record of the identity of a patient submitted under this section to the director not later than the end of the 36th [12th] calendar month after the month in which the identity is entered into the system. However, the director may retain a patient identity that is necessary for use in a specific ongoing investigation conducted in accordance with this section until the 30th day after the end of the month in which the necessity for retention of the identity ends.

SECTION 3. Subsection (a), Section 481.127, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly gives, permits, or obtains unauthorized access to information submitted to the director under Section 481.074(q) or 481.075.

SECTION 4. Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER I. INTERAGENCY PRESCRIPTION MONITORING WORK GROUP

Sec. 481.351. INTERAGENCY PRESCRIPTION MONITORING WORK GROUP. The interagency prescription monitoring work group is created to evaluate the effectiveness of prescription monitoring under this chapter and offer recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of recordkeeping and other functions related to the regulation of dispensing controlled substances by prescription.

Sec. 481.352. MEMBERS. The work group is composed of:

(1) the director or the director's designee;

(2) the commissioner of state health services or the commissioner's designee;

(3) the executive director of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or the executive director's designee;

(4) the executive director of the Texas Medical Board or the executive director's designee;

(5) the executive director of the Texas Board of Nursing or the executive director's designee; and

(6) the executive director of the Texas Physician Assistant Board or the executive director's designee.

Sec. 481.353. MEETINGS. (a) The work group shall meet at least quarterly.

(b) The work group is subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.

(c) The work group shall proactively engage stakeholders and solicit and take into account input from the public.

Sec. 481.354. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the work group shall submit to the legislature its recommendations relating to prescription monitoring.

SECTION 5. Section 168.102, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(d) If an applicant for a certificate under this chapter is under investigation by the board for a violation of this subtitle, board rules, or other law relating to the prescription, dispensation, administration, supply, or sale of a controlled substance, the board may not make a decision on the application until the board has reached a final decision on the matter under investigation.

SECTION 6. Subsection (a), Section 168.202, Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) A violation of this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter is grounds for disciplinary action, including a temporary suspension or restriction under Section 164.059, against a pain management clinic certified under this chapter or an owner or operator of a clinic certified under this chapter.

SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1643 passed the Senate on April 25, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 0; and that the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 25, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1643 passed the House, with amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 2, one present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________

Date

______________________________

Governor