A bill authored by New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs' prescription drug monitoring program is headed to President Donald Trump's desk.
Kuster, a Democrat, says under current law, when Veterans Health Administration providers prescribe a controlled substance, the VHA is required to disclose that information to state-controlled substance monitoring programs. But it is currently only transmitting data for patients who are veterans. About 10 percent of VHA's patient population is left out, including dependents and other non-veterans.
Kuster's bill would require the VHA to disclose information about non-veterans to state programs.
Kuster said the VA could be a leader in improving opioid prescribing and pain management practices, and a robust prescription drug monitoring program is a critical component of that effort.
