13-R272

2013 -- H 5982

Enacted 05/14/13

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL HOUSE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ENACTING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ESTABLISH AN INTERNET SYSTEM FOR TRACKING OVER-PRESCRIBING (I-STOP)

Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Marshall, Almeida, Slater, and DeSimone

Date Introduced: April 11, 2013

     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives finds that prescription drugs, particularly

controlled substances, are increasingly subject to criminal diversion and abuse, which can result

in addiction, adverse drug events, accidental death due to overdose, violent or self-injurious

behavior, family conflicts, and increased costs to businesses and the healthcare system.

     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives further finds that such diversion and abuse

would be mitigated by establishing a prescription monitoring program registry containing data

about controlled substances dispensed to individuals, reported on a real time basis; requiring

healthcare practitioners and permitting pharmacists to access such registry before prescribing or

dispensing additional doses of such substances; and requiring that prescriptions be transmitted

electronically from practitioners to pharmacists.

     RESOLVED, That a special house commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of seven (7) members; three (3) of whom shall be from the House of Representatives,

to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, one of whom shall be a minority political member

of the house; two (2) of whom shall be from the Department of Health, to be appointed by the

Speaker of the House; and two (2) of whom shall be from the general public to be appointed by

the Speaker of the House.

     Members of the general public may be appointed in lieu of legislators and said

appointments shall be made by the speaker of the house as for legislator supplanted.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to study the feasibility of enacting legislation

that would establish an Internet system for tracking over-prescribing (I-STOP), creating a

prescription monitoring program registry and review all other laws pertaining to prescription

drugs and controlled substances so that the necessary amendments may be made.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select from among the legislators a

chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original

appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agent as is deemed necessary or desirable

by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That said commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

general assembly on or before April 1, 2014 and said commission shall expire on June 2, 2014.

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LC02306

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