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New Rules for Monitoring Controlled Substance Prescriptions

This act mandates that doctors check prescription histories for controlled substances before prescribing them and regularly during treatment. This aims to reduce substance misuse and enhance patient safety. Pharmacies will also need to report dispensed medications to a central system more quickly.
Key points
Doctors must check a patient's prescription history in a special system before prescribing certain medications and every three months during ongoing treatment.
Prescription monitoring systems will proactively alert doctors to potential drug misuse patterns by patients.
Pharmacies will have 24 hours to report dispensed controlled substances to the monitoring system.
Data from the system will be available to law enforcement and medical licensing boards to identify prescribing irregularities.
States failing to comply with these rules may lose federal funding for drug monitoring programs.
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_S_889
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Process start date: 2021-03-22
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Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Prescription Drug Monitoring Act of 2021

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_S_889.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-03-22.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Doctors must check a patient's prescription history in a special system before prescribing certain medications and every three months during ongoing treatment.
  • Prescription monitoring systems will proactively alert doctors to potential drug misuse patterns by patients.
  • Pharmacies will have 24 hours to report dispensed controlled substances to the monitoring system.
  • Data from the system will be available to law enforcement and medical licensing boards to identify prescribing irregularities.
  • States failing to comply with these rules may lose federal funding for drug monitoring programs.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-29.

CATEGORIES

Health Security