A. Any prescriber who is licensed in the Commonwealth to treat human patients and is authorized pursuant to §§ 54.1-3303 and 54.1-3408 to issue a prescription for a covered substance shall be registered with the Prescription Monitoring Program by the Department of Health Professions.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 54.1-2522.1 v3

  • Covered substance: means all controlled substances included in Schedules II, III, and IV; controlled substances included in Schedule V for which a prescription is required; naloxone; and all drugs of concern that are required to be reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program, pursuant to this chapter. See Virginia Code 54.1-2519
  • Department: means the Virginia Department of Health Professions. See Virginia Code 54.1-2519
  • Director: means the Director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions. See Virginia Code 54.1-2519
  • Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
  • Prescriber: means a practitioner licensed in the Commonwealth who is authorized pursuant to §§ 54. See Virginia Code 54.1-2519

B. Prescribers registered with the Prescription Monitoring Program shall, at the time of initiating a new course of treatment to a human patient that includes the prescribing of benzodiazepine or an opiate anticipated at the onset of treatment to last more than 90 consecutive days, request information from the Director for the purpose of determining what, if any, other covered substances are currently prescribed to the patient. In addition, any prescriber who holds a special identification number from the Drug Enforcement Administration authorizing the prescribing of controlled substances approved for use in opioid addiction therapy shall, prior to or as a part of execution of a treatment agreement with the patient, request information from the Director for the purpose of determining what, if any, other covered substances the patient is currently being prescribed. Nothing in this section shall prohibit prescribers from making additional periodic requests for information from the Director as may be required by routine prescribing practices.

C. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources may identify and publish a list of benzodiazepines or opiates that have a low potential for abuse by human patients. Prescribers who prescribe such identified benzodiazepines or opiates shall not be required to meet the provisions of subsection B. In addition, a prescriber shall not be required to meet the provisions of subsection B if the course of treatment arises from pain management relating to dialysis or cancer treatments.

D. Prior to issuing a written certification for the use of cannabis oil in accordance with § 4.1-1601, a practitioner shall request information from the Director for the purpose of determining what, if any, other covered substances have been dispensed to the patient.

2014, cc. 93, 178; 2015, c. 517; 2016, cc. 113, 406; 2017, cc. 249, 252; 2018, cc. 102, 106, 567; 2023, cc. 740, 773.

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