36-2606. Registration; access; requirements; mandatory use; annual user satisfaction survey; report; definitions

A. A medical practitioner regulatory board shall notify each medical practitioner who receives an initial or renewal license and who intends to apply for registration or has an active registration under the controlled substances act (21 United States Code sections 801 through 904) of the medical practitioner's responsibility to register with the Arizona state board of pharmacy and be granted access to the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system. The Arizona state board of pharmacy shall provide access to the central database tracking system to each medical practitioner who has a valid license pursuant to title 32 and who possesses an Arizona registration under the controlled substances act (21 United States Code sections 801 through 904). The Arizona state board of pharmacy shall notify each pharmacist of the pharmacist's responsibility to register with the Arizona state board of pharmacy and be granted access to the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system. The Arizona state board of pharmacy shall provide access to the central database tracking system to each pharmacist who has a valid license pursuant to title 32, chapter 18 and who is employed by a facility that has a valid United States drug enforcement administration registration number.

B. The registration is:

1. Valid in conjunction with a valid United States drug enforcement administration registration number and a valid license issued by a medical practitioner regulatory board established pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25 or 29.

2. Valid in conjunction with a valid license issued by the Arizona state board of pharmacy for a pharmacist who is employed by a facility that has a valid United States drug enforcement administration registration number.

3. Not transferable or assignable.

C. An applicant for registration pursuant to this section must submit an application as prescribed by the board.

D. Pursuant to a fee prescribed by the board by rule, the board may issue a replacement registration to a registrant who requests a replacement because the original was damaged or destroyed, because of a change of name or for any other good cause as prescribed by the board.

E. A person who is authorized to access the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system may do so using only that person's assigned identifier and may not use the assigned identifier of another person.

F. Beginning the later of October 1, 2017 or sixty days after the statewide health information exchange has integrated the controlled substances prescription monitoring program data into the exchange, a medical practitioner, before prescribing an opioid analgesic or benzodiazepine controlled substance listed in schedule II, III or IV for a patient, shall obtain a patient utilization report regarding the patient for the preceding twelve months from the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system at the beginning of each new course of treatment and at least quarterly while that prescription remains a part of the treatment. Each medical practitioner regulatory board shall notify the medical practitioners licensed by that board of the applicable date. A medical practitioner may be granted a one-year waiver from the requirement in this subsection due to technological limitations that are not reasonably within the control of the practitioner or other exceptional circumstances demonstrated by the practitioner, pursuant to a process established by rule by the Arizona state board of pharmacy.

G. Before a pharmacist dispenses or before a pharmacy technician or pharmacy intern of a remote dispensing site pharmacy dispenses a schedule II controlled substance, a dispenser shall obtain a patient utilization report regarding the patient for the preceding twelve months from the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system at the beginning of each new course of treatment. The Arizona state board of pharmacy shall establish a process to provide to a dispenser a waiver for up to one year after the effective date of this amendment to this section from the requirement in this subsection due to technological limitations that are not reasonably within the control of the dispenser or other exceptional circumstances as demonstrated by the dispenser.

H. The medical practitioner or dispenser is not required to obtain a patient utilization report from the central database tracking system pursuant to subsection F of this section if any of the following applies:

1. The patient is receiving hospice care or palliative care for a serious or chronic illness.

2. The patient is receiving care for cancer, a cancer-related illness or condition or dialysis treatment.

3. A medical practitioner will administer the controlled substance.

4. The patient is receiving the controlled substance during the course of inpatient or residential treatment in a hospital, nursing care facility, assisted living facility, correctional facility or mental health facility.

5. The medical practitioner is prescribing the controlled substance to the patient for no more than a five-day period for an invasive medical or dental procedure or a medical or dental procedure that results in acute pain to the patient.

6. The medical practitioner is prescribing the controlled substance to the patient for no more than a five-day period for a patient who has suffered an acute injury or a medical or dental disease process that is diagnosed in an emergency department setting and that results in acute pain to the patient. An acute injury or medical disease process does not include back pain.

I. If a medical practitioner or dispenser uses electronic medical records that integrate data from the controlled substances prescription monitoring program, a review of the electronic medical records with the integrated data shall be deemed compliant with the review of the program's central database tracking system as required in subsection F of this section.

J. The board shall promote and enter into data sharing agreements for the purpose of integrating the controlled substances prescription monitoring program into electronic medical records.

K. By complying with this section, a medical practitioner or dispenser acting in good faith, or the medical practitioner's or dispenser's employer, is not subject to liability or disciplinary action arising solely from either:

1. Requesting or receiving, or failing to request or receive, prescription monitoring data from the program's central database tracking system.

2. Acting or failing to act on the basis of the prescription monitoring data provided by the program's central database tracking system.

L. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, medical practitioners or dispensers and their delegates are not in violation of this section during any time period in which the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system is suspended or is not operational or available in a timely manner. If the program's central database tracking system is not accessible, the medical practitioner or dispenser or the medical practitioner's or dispenser's delegate shall document the date and time the practitioner, dispenser or delegate attempted to use the central database tracking system pursuant to a process established by board rule.

M. The board shall conduct an annual voluntary survey of program users to assess user satisfaction with the program's central database tracking system. The survey may be conducted electronically. On or before December 1 of each year, the board shall provide a report of the survey results to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the governor and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

N. This section does not prohibit a medical practitioner regulatory board or the Arizona state board of pharmacy from obtaining and using information from the program's central database tracking system.

O. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Dispenser" means a pharmacist who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 18.

2. " Emergency department" means the unit within a hospital that is designed for the provision of emergency services.