PDMPs Help Patients Act of 2021

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a pilot program to test the feasibility and outcomes of integrating a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into the prescription drug monitoring programs of 5 eligible States. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the PDMPs Help Patients Act of 2021 2. Pilot program for integrating substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into State prescription drug monitoring programs (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall establish and implement a pilot program in which the Secretary awards grants to, or enters into cooperative agreements with, not more than 5 eligible States to test the feasibility and outcomes of integrating a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into the State’s prescription drug monitoring program. (b) Grant establishment and participation (1) In general In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall, on a competitive basis, award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, not more than 5 eligible States. (2) Eligibility To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall demonstrate to the Secretary’s satisfaction that the State is making progress in integrating the State’s PDMP with electronic health records and health information technology infrastructure. (3) Preference In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible States described in paragraph (2) whose rates of death due to drug overdose per population of 100,000 are in the top quartile according to the most recent data of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (c) Period of grant A grant awarded to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of 2 years. (d) Grant uses (1) Required uses A grant awarded under this section to an eligible State shall be used for both of the following purposes: (A) To integrate a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into the PDMP. (B) To develop and disseminate guidance for health care providers on how to consult and share information obtained through the substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool when a patient’s PDMP information indicates possible misuse of a controlled substance. (2) Additional permissible uses A grant awarded under this section to an eligible State may be used for any of the following additional purposes: (A) To integrate a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into the PDMP that incorporates direct referral capabilities that enable the health care provider— (i) to refer a patient to treatment or for an assessment; and (ii) consistent with the protection of information by Federal and State privacy laws and security rules, receive feedback about the patient’s engagement with such treatment or assessment. (B) To integrate a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool into the PDMP that provides information regarding the current capacity of inpatient or outpatient treatment resources of a health care provider. (e) Reporting requirements (1) Reports by States Each eligible State that participates in the pilot program under this section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report for each year of the pilot program that includes information on— (A) the number of health care providers and health facilities with access to the substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool; (B) the number of individuals referred to treatment with the assistance of the locator tool; (C) aggregate, de-identified patient data related to the type of treatment located by the locator tool, how often patients followed through on seeking such treatment, and the average duration of such treatment, to the extent collected by the State; (D) feedback from providers with access to the locator tool on usability and any impact on outcomes; (E) recommendations to improve the usability and efficacy of a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool within the PDMP; and (F) additional information and reporting metrics as determined by the Secretary. (2) Report by Secretary Not less than 180 days after the conclusion of the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the findings of the program, including— (A) outcomes reported by the participating States; (B) findings on the suitability of including a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool within State PDMPs; and (C) recommendations on best practices for integrating a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tool within State PDMPs. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) The term prescription drug monitoring program PDMP PDMP 42 U.S.C. 280g–3 (2) The term Secretary (g) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

Summary: PDMPs Help Patients Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to test the feasibility of integrating substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tools into prescription drug monitoring programs. HHS may award grants to up to five states.