BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts health officials would be required to keep a much closer eye on prescription drugs that could lead to addiction and cause overdoses under a bill unveiled yesterday by Senate leaders.
The bill would toughen the state’s prescription monitoring program, require that pharmacists dispense an interchangeable abuse deterrent drug unless a physician has indicated that a substitution should not be made, and mandate insurers reimburse for substance abuse treatment services delivered by licensed drug and alcohol counselors.
The legislation would also mandate the Chief Medical Examiner file a report with federal drug regulators and the state Department of Public Health when a death is found to be caused by a controlled substance.
Senate President Therese Murray, who unveiled the bill yesterday flanked by other senators, said the state has to take more aggressive steps to break the cycle of addiction.
The Plymouth Democrat said the bill “walks the careful line between preventing abuse without blocking access to those who really need it.”
The bill, which is expected to come up for a vote in the full Senate on Tuesday, would also:
— Require physicians consult the state’s prescription monitoring program before writing a prescription on an annual basis for patients receiving ongoing treatment of a controlled substance.
— Require the Department of Public Health to report to the Legislature on whether doctors are using the prescription monitoring program and the number of physician and pharmacist violations.
— Allow state regulators to mandate that before prescribing certain addictive prescription drugs, a doctor should review a patient’s prescription history, educate the patient on addiction, limit the quantity of pills and conduct a risk assessment.
Senate Republican Leader Bruce Tarr praised the bill.
“It is time that the Legislature puts in place the tools necessary to seriously combat this issue in an effective and responsible fashion,” the Gloucester Republican said.
