summary
Introduced
05/21/2015
05/21/2015
In Committee
05/21/2015
05/21/2015
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017
01/03/2017
Introduced Session
114th Congress
Bill Summary
Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to award grants for consumer education about opioid abuse. (Opioids are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as heroin or certain prescription painkillers.) This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to require medical practitioners to be trained in the treatment of opioid-dependent patients, pain management, and early detection of opioid addiction before they can be registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispense opioids. Opioid treatment programs that close on any day must make arrangements for each patient to receive treatment during the closure, as necessary. A report must be submitted to SAMHSA for each individual who dies while receiving treatment in an opioid treatment program. In states receiving funding for controlled substance monitoring programs, deaths where an opioid drug is detected in the body must be reported to SAMHSA. The National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must establish a National Opioid Death Registry to track opioid-related deaths. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must develop and apply prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment quality measures. This bill amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors to limit the access of certain beneficiaries to frequently abused drugs. PDP sponsors must have a utilization management tool to prevent drug abuse. Medicare Drug Integrity Contractors may accept prescription and medical records to determine whether a beneficiary is at risk for prescription drug abuse.
AI Summary
This bill, the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2015, aims to combat prescription opioid abuse through several key provisions. It mandates grants for consumer education campaigns on opioid abuse, including safe disposal and early warning signs, and requires medical practitioners to undergo training in opioid addiction treatment, pain management, and early detection before they can dispense opioids. The bill also strengthens oversight of opioid treatment programs by requiring them to arrange for patient care during closures and to report deaths of patients to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Furthermore, it establishes a National Opioid Death Registry to track opioid-related fatalities and directs the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop quality measures for prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment. For Medicare beneficiaries, the bill allows prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors to implement drug management programs for individuals identified as "at-risk" for prescription drug abuse, potentially limiting their access to frequently abused drugs to specific prescribers and pharmacies, and requires PDP sponsors to have tools to prevent drug abuse. Medicare Drug Integrity Contractors (MEDICs) will also be empowered to accept prescription and medical records to help identify beneficiaries at risk of prescription drug abuse.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (7)
Joe Manchin (I)*,
Shelley Moore Capito (R),
Tom Cotton (R),
Dianne Feinstein (D),
Angus King (I),
Claire McCaskill (D),
Jeanne Shaheen (D),
Last Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (on 05/21/2015)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
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