Panel advances bill to give prescribers access to overdose history from ADT data in PMP

The House Health Professions Subcommittee voted 8-0 to report House Bill 1902 and refer it to the Appropriations Committee. The bill would enable prescribers checking the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to see a patient's overdose history by authorizing access to admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) data collected by the Virginia Department of Health through the Health Information Exchange.

Sponsor Delegate Willett told the committee the ADT data already exist and that changing code and systems access—supported by a budget amendment—would allow prescribers to use that information at the point of prescribing. "This information is referred to admit discharge and transfer or ADT data. It's collected by the Department of Health through the Health Information Exchange. So the data is there. We need the access to it," he said.

Supporters included representatives of Bamboo Health, the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians and the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance. Karen Addison of Troutman Strategies, representing Bamboo Health, told the committee: "We support the bill." Amy Perren Seibert of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians said access to overdose information would be helpful when clinicians check the PMP.

The subcommittee moved and properly seconded a motion to report and refer the bill to appropriations; the roll call recorded the measure as passing on an 8-0 vote.