An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program and To Review Limits on the Prescription of Controlled Substances
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1648
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: KATZ, VACHON, HASKELL, EVES, GATTINE, MALABY, SANBORN, TUELL
Amends: 22 MRSA §7250

Legislative Document 
No. 1648 
S.P. 674 
In Senate, March 10, 2016 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Controlled Substances 
Prescription Monitoring Program and To Review Limits on the 
Prescription of Controlled Substances 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator KATZ of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Representative VACHON of Scarborough and 
Senator: HASKELL of Cumberland, Representatives: Speaker EVES of North Berwick, 
GATTINE of Westbrook, MALABY of Hancock, SANBORN of Gorham, TUELL of East 
Machias. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §7250, sub-§4, ¶H, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 218, §3, is 
amended to read: 
H.  Another state or a Canadian province pursuant to subsection 4-A. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §7250, sub-§4-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. AA, 
§69, is further amended to read: 
4-A.  Information sharing with other states and Canadian provinces.  The 
department may provide prescription monitoring information to and receive prescription 
monitoring information from another state or a Canadian province that has prescription 
monitoring information provisions consistent with this chapter and has entered into a 
prescription monitoring information sharing agreement with the department.  The 
department may enter into a prescription monitoring information sharing agreement with 
another state or a Canadian province to establish the terms and conditions of prescription 
monitoring information sharing and interoperability of information systems and to carry 
out the purposes of this subsection.  For purposes of this subsection, "another state" 
means any state other than Maine and any territory or possession of the United States, but 
does not include a foreign country. 
Sec. 3.  Licensing boards to amend rules to require prescribers and 
dispensers to use the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring 
Program.  The Board of Licensure in Medicine, Board of Osteopathic Licensure, Board 
of Dental Examiners, State Board of Nursing, Board of Licensure of Podiatric Medicine, 
Maine Board of Pharmacy and State Board of Veterinary Medicine shall examine the 
circumstances in which prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances should be 
required to check the prescription monitoring information maintained by the Controlled 
Substances Prescription Monitoring Program in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, 
chapter 1603.  No later than January 1, 2017, the Board of Licensure in Medicine, Board 
of Osteopathic Licensure, Board of Dental Examiners, State Board of Nursing and Board 
of Licensure of Podiatric Medicine shall amend the joint rule of the boards governing the 
use of controlled substances for treatment of pain to specify the circumstances in which 
prescribers of controlled substances are required to check the prescription monitoring 
information maintained by the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program.  
No later than January 1, 2017, the Maine Board of Pharmacy and State Board of 
Veterinary Medicine shall amend their rules to specify the circumstances in which 
dispensers of controlled substances are required to check the prescription monitoring 
information maintained by the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program. 
Sec. 4.  Licensing boards to review MaineCare prescribing limits.  No later 
than January 1, 2017, the Board of Licensure in Medicine, Board of Osteopathic 
Licensure, Board of Dental Examiners, State Board of Nursing and Board of Licensure of 
Podiatric Medicine shall review the limits on controlled substances applied by the 
MaineCare program on the effective date of this Act and determine whether these limits 
should apply to all patients and, if so, how these limits may be implemented.  If these 
limits are found to be necessary and feasible, the boards shall amend their rules or a joint 
rule to implement these limits, but the amended rules or joint rule may not be effective 
prior to July 1, 2017. 
Sec. 5.  Department of Health and Human Services to amend rules to 
require registration of pharmacists.  The Department of Health and Human 
Services shall amend its rules governing the Controlled Substances Prescription 
Monitoring Program no later than January 1, 2017 to require the registration of 
pharmacists as data requesters. 
SUMMARY 
This bill directs the licensing boards regulating prescribers and dispensers of 
controlled substances to engage in rulemaking regarding required use of the Controlled 
Substances Prescription Monitoring Program and to review the possibility of establishing 
prescribing limits.  It requires pharmacists to register to use the program and allows the 
Department of Health and Human Services to provide prescription monitoring 
information to and receive prescription monitoring information from a Canadian 
province.