Bills
| 3.23.22

Does a National Prescription Drug Monitoring System Need Reauthorization? (H.R. 1725)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 1725?

(Updated November 17, 2017)

This bill would reauthorize the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act (NASPER), which gives grants to states to monitor prescription drug use. NASPER funding allows healthcare providers, regulators, state licensing agencies, and law enforcement to monitor and track prescription drug information to prevent and stop abuse.

The NASPER program would be reauthorized through fiscal year 2020 to:

  • Give grant funding to maintain and operate existing state controlled substance monitoring programs;

  • Require the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) to redistribute any funds that are returned among the remaining grantees;

  • Require a state to give HHS aggregate data and other information to help HHS evaluate the effectiveness of the state’s program;

  • Expand the program to include commonwealths and territories of the U.S.

NASPER grants would be provided through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish, implement, and improve prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). PDMPs help providers access accurate prescription information, and screen patients who are at risk for addiction so they can receive alternative treatment if necessary.

States receiving these grants would have to bring prescribers and dispensers up to speed on the state’s controlled substance monitoring system. States would also have to teach prescribers and dispensers the benefits of the system to them and society.

Argument in favor

The systems that are in place provide a valuable tool for those who are dispensing and prescribing medication to help prevent addiction and abuse. They need to be reauthorized and improved, not allowed to expire.

Argument opposed

These programs shouldn’t continue to be administered at the state level, the federal government needs to consolidate all of this information under its authority.

Impact

People who are at risk of abusing or have abused prescription drugs, prescribers and dispensers of prescription drugs, and relevant agencies at the federal and state levels.

Cost of H.R. 1725

The CBO estimates that this bill would cost $43 million over the 2016-2020 period, or about $8 million per year.

Additional Info

In-Depth: The lead sponsor of this legislation, Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), cited the toll of prescription drug abuse in his home state in an introductory press release:

“In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, more than 1000 individuals die each year from prescription drug overdoses. This staggering loss of life makes reauthorizing NASPER a critical step toward addressing this growing national crisis. NASPER will provide states the resources they need to allow physicians to properly treat their patients while cracking down on the interstate trafficking of prescription medications and patients who are simply doctor shopping.”

This bill was passed unanimously by the House Energy and Commerce Committee via voice vote.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user xcorex)