Controlled Substances Legislative Update

This week, HB 2950 is scheduled for public hearing in the House Public Health Committee.  If (and when ) this passes, all APNs who prescribe certain controlled substances in Texas will be required to access the the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) prior to writing the prescription.  We discussed the PMP at a meeting last year as a check of how your patients are taking controlled substances, and it IS just good practice, but now may be required or the BON will be able to take disciplinary action for practitioners who fail to use the PMP.  This is the wording in the bill:

Sec.A301.355.AADUTIES RELATED TO CERTAIN PRESCRIPTIONS.

(a) An advanced practice registered nurse authorized to prescribe or order a drug or device may not prescribe a drug listed in Subsection (b) to a patient unless the advanced practice registered nurse has reviewed the patient ’s prescription history by accessing the prescription information submitted to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as authorized by Section 481.076(a)(5), Health and Safety Code.

(b)AASubsection (a) applies only to the prescribing of:

             (1)opioids; (2)benzodiazepines; (3)barbiturates; or (4)carisoprodol.

(c)AAFailure by an advanced practice registered nurse to comply with the requirements of this section is grounds for disciplinary action under Section 301.452.

The bill still has a long way to go before it becomes law.  Once it is voted out of committee, it must be approved by the house and then sent to the senate, where it will also have to go through the committee and voting process.  HOWEVER, the state and national legislatures are clearly making a concerted effort this session to help put an end to the opiate/controlled substance problem in the US and this is a good bill that makes sense.  Even achieving a scheduled hearing at this point in the session is a good indicator this bill will go through.  Keep an eye on it and in the meantime, get registered with PMP and start using the system now--again, it is good practice and may save some patients now, and in the future, using it could save your licencse!

Here is the site to register: https://texas.pmpaware.net

Best,

Erika