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This bill establishes clear standards for coordinated contact between federal agencies and the private entities within the prescription drug supply chain to alleviate prescription drug abuse.

The goal is that through stricter enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the legitimate access to medication by patients is not unnecessarily interrupted.

For pharmaceutical distributors and pharmacists who have violated regulations, this legislation gives them an opportunity to correct their mistakes before having their registration revoked or suspended.

A report would also be created to assess \"how patient access to medications could be adversely impacted by Federal and State law enforcement activities,\" and identify \"how collaboration between [drug enforcement] agencies and stakeholders can benefit patients and prevent diversion and abuse of controlled substances.\" The report will incorporate feedback from a workgroup comprised of:

- Patient groups;

- Pharmacies;

- Drug Manufacturers;

- Common or contract carriers and warehouse workers;

- Hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers;

- State Attorney Generals

- Law enforcement officials and officers

- Health benefit plans and pharmacy benefit management services;

- Wholesale drug distributors.

","official_title":"To improve enforcement efforts related to prescription drug diversion and abuse, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015\n\n (Sec. 2) Amends the Controlled Substances Act to define: (1) \"factors as may be relevant to and consistent with the public health and safety,\" for purposes of the Attorney General's determination of whether registering an applicant to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance in schedule I or II is in the public interest, as factors that are relevant to and consistent with the findings of such Act; and (2) \"imminent danger to the public health or safety,\" for purposes of the suspension of such a registration, to mean that in the absence of an immediate suspension order, controlled substances will continue to be distributed or dispensed by a registrant who knows or should know through fulfilling the obligations of the registrant under this Act that the dispensing is outside the usual course of professional practice, the distribution or dispensing poses a present or foreseeable risk of adverse health consequences ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost is currently unavailable. 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Should The Ties Between Big Pharma And Federal Agencies Be Tighter?