Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the executive director of a national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs under which Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers shall query such network, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act 2. Department of VETERANS AFFAIRS participation in national network of State-based prescription drug monitoring programs (a) In general Chapter 17 section 1730A 1730B. Access to State prescription drug monitoring programs (a) Access to programs (1) Any licensed health care provider or delegate of such a provider shall be considered an authorized recipient or user for the purpose of querying and receiving data from the national network of State-based prescription drug monitoring programs to support the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances to covered patients. (2) Under the authority granted by paragraph (1)— (A) licensed health care providers or delegates of such providers shall query such network in accordance with applicable regulations and policies of the Veterans Health Administration; and (B) notwithstanding any general or specific provision of law, rule, or regulation of a State, no State may restrict the access of licensed health care providers or delegates of such providers from accessing that State’s prescription drug monitoring programs. (3) No State shall deny or revoke the license, registration, or certification of a licensed health care provider or delegate who otherwise meets that State’s qualifications for holding the license, registration, or certification on the basis that the licensed health care provider or delegate has queried or received data, or attempt to query or receive data, from the national network of State-based prescription drug monitoring programs under this section. (b) Covered patients For purposes of this section, a covered patient is a patient who— (1) receives a prescription for a controlled substance; and (2) is not receiving palliative care or enrolled in hospice care. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term controlled substance 21 U.S.C. 802(6) (2) The term delegate (3) The term licensed health care provider (4) The term national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs (5) The term State . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1730A the following new item: 1730B. Access to State prescription drug monitoring programs. . Amend the title so as to read: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for access by Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers to State prescription drug monitoring programs. May 18, 2018 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act (Sec. 2) This bill permits any Department of Veterans Affairs licensed health care provider or provider delegate accessing data on behalf of such provider to query and receive data from the national network of state-based prescription drug monitoring programs to support the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances to patients who: (1) receive a prescription for a controlled substance, and (2) are not receiving palliative care or enrolled in hospice care. Health care providers or delegates shall query the network in accordance with applicable Veterans Health Administration regulations and policies. No state may restrict providers or delegates from accessing the state's prescription drug monitoring program. No state shall deny or revoke the license, registration, or certification of a licensed provider or delegate on the basis that such provider or delegate has queried or received network data.