HB 732 Summary

• Establishes the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Act effective January 1, 2012, requiring dispensers to report all schedule II-V controlled substance dispensations to the Department of Health and Senior Services electronically within 30 days, with authorized access limited to prescribers, pharmacists, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies.

• Creates an electronic logbook system for monitoring sales of schedule V controlled substances containing pseudoephedrine and establishes a two-year pilot project for reporting fraudulently obtained prescription controlled substances through a toll-free hotline to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

• Modifies disciplinary procedures for licensed professionals by allowing emergency suspension or restriction based on probable cause for specific serious violations (sexual misconduct, drug possession, incapacity, alcohol abuse) with expedited board hearings and court appeal rights within 30 days.

• Expands grounds for disciplinary action against physicians and surgeons to include being listed on any state or federal sexual offender registry, unethical conduct involving minors, habitual intoxication evidenced by multiple alcohol-related enforcement contacts, and establishes requirements for valid physician-patient relationships in internet prescribing.

• Adds default judgment provisions allowing automatic decisions against licensees who fail to respond to disciplinary complaints with proper notice, subject to motion to set aside within 30 days for good cause shown.