1     
OPIOID ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

2     
AMENDMENTS

3     
2017 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason

6     
Senate Sponsor: Brian E. Shiozawa

7     

8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10          This bill requires controlled substance prescribers to receive training in a nationally
11     recognized opioid abuse screening method and requires reimbursement for the
12     screening services.
13     Highlighted Provisions:
14          This bill:
15          ▸     requires controlled substance prescribers to receive training in a nationally
16     recognized opioid abuse screening method;
17          ▸     permits controlled substance prescribers to fulfill continuing education requirements
18     through training in the screening method;
19          ▸     permits controlled substance prescribers who receive a DATA 2000 waiver to use
20     the waiver to fulfill certain continuing education requirements;
21          ▸     requires Medicaid reimbursement to health care providers for screening services;
22          ▸     requires the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program to reimburse health
23     care providers for screening services; and
24          ▸     makes technical changes.
25     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
26          None
27     Other Special Clauses:

28          None
29     Utah Code Sections Affected:
30     AMENDS:
31          58-37-6.5, as repealed and reenacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 450
32     ENACTS:
33          26-18-21, Utah Code Annotated 1953
34          49-20-414, Utah Code Annotated 1953
35     

36     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
37          Section 1. Section 26-18-21 is enacted to read:
38          26-18-21. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Medicaid
39     reimbursement.
40          (1) As used in this section:
41          (a) "Controlled substance prescriber" means a controlled substance prescriber, as that
42     term is defined in Section 58-37-6.5, who:
43          (i) has a record of having completed SBIRT training, in accordance with Subsection
44     58-37-6.5(2), before providing the SBIRT services; and
45          (ii) is a Medicaid enrolled health care provider.
46          (b) "SBIRT" means the same as that term is defined in Section 58-37-6.5.
47          (2) The department shall reimburse a controlled substance prescriber who provides
48     SBIRT services to a Medicaid enrollee who is 13 years of age or older for the SBIRT services.
49          Section 2. Section 49-20-414 is enacted to read:
50          49-20-414. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment program
51     reimbursement.
52          (1) As used in this section:
53          (a) "Controlled substance prescriber" means a controlled substance prescriber, as that
54     term is defined in Section 58-37-6.5, who:
55          (i) has a record of having completed SBIRT training, in accordance with Subsection
56     58-37-6.5(2), before providing the SBIRT services; and
57          (ii) is a program enrolled controlled substance prescriber.
58          (b) "SBIRT" means the same as that term is defined in Section 58-37-6.5.

59          (2) The health program offered to the state employee risk pool under Section
60     49-20-202 shall reimburse a controlled substance prescriber who provides SBIRT services to a
61     covered individual who is 13 years of age or older for the SBIRT services.
62          Section 3. Section 58-37-6.5 is amended to read:
63          58-37-6.5. Continuing education for controlled substance prescribers.
64          (1) For the purposes of this section:
65          (a) "Controlled substance prescriber" means an individual, other than a veterinarian,
66     who:
67          (i) is licensed to prescribe a controlled substance under Title 58, Chapter 37, Utah
68     Controlled Substances Act; and
69          (ii) possesses the authority, in accordance with the individual's scope of practice, to
70     prescribe schedule II controlled substances and schedule III controlled substances that are
71     applicable to opioid narcotics, hypnotic depressants, or psychostimulants.
72          (b) "D.O." means an osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under Title 58,
73     Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.
74          [(b)] (c) "FDA" means the United States Food and Drug Administration.
75          [(c)] (d) "M.D." means a physician and surgeon licensed under Title 58, Chapter 67,
76     Utah Medical Practice Act.
77          [(d) "D.O." means an osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under Title 58,
78     Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.]
79          (e) "SBIRT" means the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
80     approach used by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or
81     defined by the division, in consultation with the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental
82     Health, by administrative rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative
83     Rulemaking Act.
84          (2) (a) Beginning with the licensing period that begins after January 1, 2014, as a
85     condition precedent for license renewal, each controlled substance prescriber shall complete at
86     least four continuing education hours per licensing period that satisfy the requirements of
87     Subsections (3) and (4).
88          (b) (i) Beginning with the licensing period that begins after January 1, 2024, as a
89     condition precedent for license renewal, each controlled substance prescriber shall complete at

90     least 3.5 continuing education hours in an SBIRT-training class that satisfies the requirements
91     of Subsection (5).
92          (ii) Completion of the SBIRT-training class, in compliance with Subsection (2)(b)(i),
93     fulfills the continuing education hours requirement in Subsection (4) for the licensing period in
94     which the class was completed.
95          (iii) A controlled substance prescriber:
96          (A) need only take the SBIRT-training class once during the controlled substance
97     prescriber's licensure in the state; and
98          (B) shall provide a completion record of the SBIRT-training class in order to be
99     reimbursed for SBIRT services to patients, in accordance with Section 26-18-21 and Section
100     49-20-414.
101          (3) As provided in Subsection 58-37f-402(8), the online tutorial and passing the online
102     test described in Section 58-37f-402 shall count as 1/2 hour of continuing professional
103     education under Subsection (2) per licensing period.
104          (4) A controlled substance prescriber shall complete at least 3.5 hours of continuing
105     education [hours] in one or more controlled substance prescribing classes, except dentists who
106     shall complete at least [2 such] two hours, that satisfy the requirements of Subsections (5) and
107     (7).
108          (5) A controlled substance prescribing class shall:
109          (a) satisfy the division's requirements for the continuing education required for the
110     renewal of the controlled substance prescriber's respective license type;
111          (b) be delivered by an accredited or approved continuing education provider
112     recognized by the division as offering continuing education appropriate for the controlled
113     substance prescriber's respective license type; and
114          (c) include a postcourse knowledge assessment.
115          (6) An M.D. or D.O. completing continuing professional education hours under
116     Subsection (4) shall complete those hours in classes that qualify for the American Medical
117     Association Physician's Recognition Award Category 1 Credit.
118          (7) The 3.5 hours of the controlled substance prescribing classes under Subsection (4)
119     shall include educational content covering the following:
120          (a) the scope of the controlled substance abuse problem in Utah and the nation;

121          (b) all elements of the FDA Blueprint for Prescriber Education under the FDA's
122     Extended-Release and Long-Acting Opioid Analgesics Risk Evaluation and Mitigation
123     Strategy, as published July 9, 2012, or as it may be subsequently revised;
124          (c) the national and Utah-specific resources available to prescribers to assist in
125     appropriate controlled substance and opioid prescribing;
126          (d) patient record documentation for controlled substance and opioid prescribing; and
127          (e) office policies, procedures, and implementation.
128          (8) (a) The division, in consultation with the Utah Medical Association Foundation,
129     shall determine whether a particular controlled substance prescribing class satisfies the
130     educational content requirements of Subsections (5) and (7) for an M.D. or D.O.
131          (b) The division, in consultation with the applicable professional licensing boards,
132     shall determine whether a particular controlled substance prescribing class satisfies the
133     educational content requirements of Subsections (5) and (7) for a controlled substance
134     prescriber other than an M.D. or D.O.
135          (c) The division may by rule establish a committee that may audit compliance with the
136     Utah Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Educational Programming Project
137     grant, that satisfies the educational content requirements of Subsections (5) and (7) for a
138     controlled substance prescriber.
139          (9) A controlled substance prescribing class required under this section:
140          (a) may be held:
141          (i) in conjunction with other continuing professional education programs; and
142          (ii) online; and
143          (b) does not increase the total number of state-required continuing professional
144     education hours required for prescriber licensing.
145          (10) The division may establish rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
146     Administrative Rulemaking Act, to implement this section.
147          (11) A controlled substance prescriber who, on or after July 1, 2017, obtains a waiver
148     to treat opioid dependency with narcotic medications, in accordance with the Drug Addiction
149     Treatment Act of 2000, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 823 et seq., may use the waiver to satisfy the 3.5 hours
150     of the continuing education requirement under Subsection (4) for two consecutive licensing
151     periods.







Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel