Bill > SB2279

This bill makes several changes related to pain management clinics and prescribers in Tennessee, primarily focusing on transparency and operational flexibility. It requires the Department of Health to publicly post the criteria used to inspect pain management clinics for compliance on its website, increasing transparency for both clinics and the public. The bill also introduces provisions for identifying and addressing "high-risk prescribers," defined by clinical outcomes like patient overdoses, and outlines a process for expunging this designation if a prescriber completes specific coursework and either demonstrates that overdoses did not involve their prescribed substances or avoids being identified as high-risk for two consecutive years. Additionally, it allows a pain management specialist to temporarily cover for a medical director of a pain management clinic, even remotely via telephone, without this temporary service counting towards the limit of four clinics a specialist can oversee, 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 for advisory private letter rulings on matters within the pain management part of the law.