Fallin Signs RX Drug Monitoring Bill
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signs prescription monitoring bill
by Rick Green
Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill Tuesday to help reduce drug abuse and overdose deaths by requiring that doctors check a patient database before prescribing highly addictive medication.
House Bill 1948, the first piece of legislation signed this year, will go into effect on Nov. 1.
Physicians who check the database can find out if a patient is “doctor shopping,” or trying to get multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors. The initial database check would be required with the first prescription for three classes of drugs. Subsequent checks would need to be made at least once every 180 days.
Fallin predicted the bill would save lives, saying hundreds of people die every year in Oklahoma by overdosing on prescription drugs.
“I think we’re getting off to a great start in our legislation session, especially having a bill of this magnitude being our first bill to pass,” Fallin said.