Bill > HB2572

This bill makes several changes related to pain management clinics and prescribers in Tennessee, primarily focusing on transparency and operational flexibility. Key provisions include requiring the Department of Health to publicly post the criteria used to inspect pain management clinics for compliance on its website, and to also make public the criteria for identifying "high-risk prescribers" – those whose prescribing practices are deemed risky based on patient outcomes like overdoses, who will then be subject to review and investigation. The bill also outlines a process for a prescriber to have their "high-risk" status removed if they complete specific coursework and either demonstrate that overdoses didn't involve their prescribed substances or are not identified as high-risk for two consecutive years. Additionally, it allows a pain management specialist to temporarily cover for a medical director, even remotely by phone, without this counting towards their limit of serving as a medical director at four clinics, and removes the requirement for the department to be notified of such temporary coverage. Finally, the bill changes the frequency of certain reporting or review requirements from "weekly" to "quarterly" and allows the commissioner to issue private letter rulings on specific matters to licensees, which are not binding on others.