An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Controlled Substances
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0765
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MEYER
Amends: 22 MRSA §7246, 22 MRSA §7249, 22 MRSA §7250, 22 MRSA §7254, 32 MRSA §2210, 32 MRSA §2600-C, 32 MRSA §3300-F, 32 MRSA §3657, 32 MRSA §18308

Legislative Document
No. 765
H.P. 495
House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Controlled Substances 
Prescription Monitoring Program
Submitted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MEYER of Eliot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §7246, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2017, c. 360, §2, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Prescriber.  "Prescriber" means a licensed health care professional or veterinarian 
with prescriptive authority, including a licensed health care professional or veterinarian 
who uses telehealth in providing health care to prescribe controlled substances to patients 
located in this State.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §7246, sub-§8 is enacted to read:
8.  Telehealth.  "Telehealth" has the same meaning as in Title 24-A, section 4316, 
subsection 1, paragraph C.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §7249, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 360, §3, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Information required.  Except as provided in subsection 1‑A or 1‑B, each 
dispenser shall submit to the department, by electronic means or other format specified in 
a waiver granted by the department, specific items of information regarding dispensed 
controlled substances as determined by the department from the following list: through 
rules adopted to implement this subsection.
A.  The dispenser identification number;
B.  The date the prescription was filled;
C.  The prescription number;
D.  Whether the prescription is new or is a refill;
E.  The National Drug Code (NDC) for the drug dispensed;
F.  The quantity dispensed;
G.  The dosage;
H.  The patient identification number;
I.  The patient name;
J.  The patient address;
K.  The patient date of birth;
L.  The prescriber identification number;
M.  The date the prescription was issued by the prescriber; and
N.  The department-issued serial number if the department chooses to establish a serial 
prescription system.
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §7250, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 460, Pt. F, §6, is 
amended to read:
8.  Report regarding program.  The department shall provide to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters 
on or before January April 15th of each year, and at such other times as the committee 
requests, data pertaining to the aggregate number of prescriptions of each drug required to 
be included in the program, the number of prescribers participating in the program 
categorized by specialty, any historical trends or patterns in prescribing practices within 
the State, any progress in the implementation of information sharing agreements authorized 
by subsection 4‑A and any other information pertaining to the work of the program as 
requested by the committee that is reasonably available to the department, as long as all 
information reasonably likely to reveal the patient or the prescriber or other person who is 
the subject of the information has been removed.
Sec. 5.  22 MRSA §7254, as amended by PL 2017, c. 213, §11, is repealed.
Sec. 6.  32 MRSA §2210, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §13, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (5) to read:
(5)  Other circumstances determined in rule by the Department of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to Title 22, section 7254, subsection 2; and
Sec. 7.  32 MRSA §2600-C, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §17, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (5) to read:
(5)  Other circumstances determined in rule by the Department of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to Title 22, section 7254, subsection 2; and
Sec. 8.  32 MRSA §3300-F, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §20, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (5) to read:
(5)  Other circumstances determined in rule by the Department of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to Title 22, section 7254, subsection 2; and
Sec. 9.  32 MRSA §3657, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §23, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (5) to read:
(5)  Other circumstances determined in rule by the Department of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to Title 22, section 7254, subsection 2; and
Sec. 10.  32 MRSA §18308, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §32, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (5) to read:
(5)  Other circumstances determined in rule by the Department of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to Title 22, section 7254, subsection 2; and
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws governing the Controlled Substances Prescription 
Monitoring Program.  It changes the definition of "prescriber" to mean a licensed health 
care professional or veterinarian with prescriptive authority, including a licensed health 
care professional or veterinarian who uses telehealth in providing health care to prescribe 
controlled substances to patients located in this State; removes the itemized list of required 
information to be reported to the program and provides the Department of Health and 
Human Services authority to specify and determine this information by rule; extends the 
annual reporting deadline from January 15th annually to April 15th annually; and repeals 
the one-time rule-making authorization and exception from 2017.