I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9178 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2024 

Mr. ZINKE (for himself, Mr. BOST, Mr. VAN ORDEN, and Mr. CISCOMANI) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Prescription 

5 Safety Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING PROGRAMS 

2 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF3 FAIRS. 

4 (a) EXPANSION OF ACCESS OF HEALTH CARE PRO5 VIDERS OF THE DEPARTMENT.—Section 1730B of title 

6 38, United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘to covered 

8 patients’’; and 

9 (2) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3) 

10 and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(3) The term ‘licensed health care provider’ 

12 means a health care provider who is— 

13 ‘‘(A) an employee or contractor of the De14 partment; and 

15 ‘‘(B) licensed, certified, or registered by a 

16 State to fill or prescribe medication within the 

17 scope of practice for the Department.’’. 

18 (b) GUIDANCE AND TRAINING.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Such section is further 

20 amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(b) GUIDANCE AND TRAINING.—(1) The Secretary 

23 shall issue guidance to pharmacy personnel of the Depart24 ment (including licensed health care providers) that pre25 scribes best practices for conducting a query described in 

26 subsection (a) upon receipt of a prescription for a conVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:56 Aug 27, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9178.IH H9178

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1 trolled substance from a health care provider who provides 

2 health care to a veteran under section 1703 of this title. 

3 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall provide such pharmacy per4 sonnel with annual training on— 

5 ‘‘(A) best practices prescribed under paragraph 

6 (1); and 

7 ‘‘(B) the requirements of State and regional 

8 prescription drug monitoring programs.’’. 

9 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Vet10 erans Affairs shall carry out subsection (b) of such 

11 section, as amended by this subsection, not later 

12 than one year after the date of the enactment of this 

13 Act. 

14 (c) AUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION.— 

15 Subsection (l) of section 5701 of such title is amended 

16 to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘(l) Under regulations prescribed the Secretary, the 

18 Secretary may disclose information about an individual to 

19 a State controlled substance monitoring program, includ20 ing a program approved by the Secretary of Health and 

21 Human Services under section 399O of the Public Health 

22 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g–3).’’. 

Æ 


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