Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are electronic databases that track prescriptions of controlled substances.
Every state except Missouri has implemented a statewide PDMP to monitor prescriber and patient behavior in near real-time with high geographic precision. St. Louis County created a PDMP in 2012, but not all areas of the state currently participate.
SB 63 would establish the Joint Oversight Task Force of Prescription Drug Monitoring within the Office of Administration. This body would be tasked with identifying and contracting with a vendor to create a PDMP for monitoring the prescribing and dispensing of medically important drugs with the potential for abuse in the state. SB 63 also specifies privacy protections for patient information, including deletion of data after 3 years, de-identification when data is provided to outside entities for research purposes, and prohibitions on providing data to law enforcement or any other body for purposes outside of those outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
The bill also establishes fines for dispensers who do not submit accurate dispensation information and criminal penalties for anyone who violates the privacy protections established by the bill.
