Legislation improving the oversight of prescriptions to reduce the risk of opioid abuse received final legislative approval this week and was sent to the Governor.
Under Senate Bill 432, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) would have access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The PDMP was created in 2014 in an effort to provide greater monitoring over prescription drugs and potential abuse.
“Opioid addiction is a plague that has touched every part of our state and has impacted thousands of families. This disease affects each and every Pennsylvanian and threatens all communities in our Commonwealth,” said Senator Laughlin. “We must take every step possible to prevent addiction and overdoses and Senate Bill 432 is a key part of that effort.”
Allowing the MCOs to query the PDMP will provide greater collaboration and data when it comes to prescription drug abuse and misuse. The bill includes a provision that requires an MCO to notify the Attorney General and the Department of Human Services if it is believed that a controlled substance was prescribed or dispensed fraudulently.
Senate Bill 432 builds on recent efforts to combat the deadly heroin and opioid epidemic that claimed the lives of more than 4,200 Pennsylvanians in 2018. In 2019, the Senate passed a package of bills to combat the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic by improving prescription drug monitoring, limiting opioid prescriptions, targeting drug dealers and taking other steps to limit the damage inflicted by the addiction crisis in Pennsylvania communities.
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov (717) 787-8927