[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 23 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S2026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. 
        Dodd):
  S. 518. A bill to provide for the establishment of a controlled 
substance monitoring program in each State; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to join Senator 
Sessions, Senator Durbin and Senator Dodd in introducing the ``National 
All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act.'' Our goal is to 
help States establish electronic databases to monitor the use of 
prescription drugs and deal more effectively with the growing national 
problem of prescription drug abuse.
  Over 6 million Americans currently use prescription drugs for non-
medical purposes. 31 million say they've abused such drugs at least 
once in their lifetime. Since 1992, the number of young adults who 
abuse prescription pain relievers and other addictive drugs has more 
than tripled. Prescription drug abuse among youths 12 to 17 has soared 
tenfold.
  State programs to monitor addictive medications can help curb this 
abuse. Currently, 20 States have such programs in place, including 
Massachusetts, but they vary greatly in the collection and storage of 
the data, and in the methods for using the databases.
  The information contained in these databases is important, because it 
can be used to identify physicians and patients who encourage the non-
medical use of prescription drugs. It can also be used to reduce the 
diversion of prescription drugs for illegal use.
  Our bill authorizes the Secretary of HHS to make grants to States to 
establish these needed monitoring programs. For States with existing 
programs, the grants can be used to improve their systems and 
standardize the data collected to allow easy sharing of the information 
between the States.
  Any such program, however, must include strong safeguards for medical 
privacy, and make certain that the database cannot be used to put 
improper pressure on physicians to avoid prescribing essential drugs. 
The proper treatment of pain, for example, is an enormous medical 
challenge, but this essential care will be much more difficult if 
patients fear that their prescription histories will not be protected, 
or if physicians begin to look over their shoulder every time they 
prescribe pain medication.
  We all share the goal of reaching the right balance between the 
interests of patients, physicians, and law enforcement, and we think 
this legislation does that. It requires that in grant applications, 
States must propose security standards for the electronic databases, 
including appropriate encryption or other information technology. 
States also must propose standards for using the database and obtaining 
the information, including certifications to be sure that requests for 
information are legitimate. The bill requires the Secretary to provide 
a follow-up analysis of the privacy protections within two years after 
enactment.
  The national problem of prescription drug abuse worsens every year. 
Physicians want to treat pain without contributing to addiction. Law 
enforcement officials want to stop the flow of prescription drugs from 
pharmacies to the streets. A national prescription drug monitoring 
program will provide a valuable resource to achieve these goals. I 
commend Senator Sessions for his leadership on this important health 
issue, and I urge my colleagues to join us in this effort to fight 
prescription drug abuse.
                                 ______