SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 42

(By Senators Jenkins, Nohe, Palumbo, Sypolt, Tucker, Wells and Wills)

[Originating in the Committee on Interstate Cooperation]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study opportunities for West Virginia to adopt model legislation and/or COMPAC to facilitate the sharing of prescription data with other states.

    Whereas, One of West Virginia’s most significant health and public safety challenges surrounds the problem of prescription drug fraud, abuse and misuse. Tragically, in recent years West Virginia has ranked at or near the top in the nation on poison deaths many of which involve prescription drugs. West Virginia is not unique in this health and public safety challenge and like many states West Virginia has been proactive in advancing public policy initiatives to address this crisis; and

    Whereas, One of the most powerful tools in the fight against prescription drug abuse was the establishment of West Virginia’s Controlled Substance Monitoring Program. This database was established by law over a decade ago and is housed and managed by the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy. West Virginia was one of the first states in the country to establish such a program; and

    Whereas, Many other states have established their own controlled substance monitoring database and much like in West Virginia it is a repository of information about prescription data. Currently approximately forty states have a controlled substance database either up and running or approved by state law to be created; and

    Whereas, With the establishment of a large number of state databases that essentially serve as silos of information, initiatives have begun to establish methods and processes through which interstate sharing of data can be facilitated; and

    Whereas, West Virginia will likely have the opportunity to engage in a partnership to develop model legislation, uniform laws and/or interstate COMPAC agreements with other states to share data; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to study opportunities for West Virginia to adopt model legislation and/or COMPAC to facilitate the sharing of prescription data with other states; and be it

    Further Resolved, That the Committee on Interstate Cooperation review and consider opportunities for West Virginia to adopt model legislation and/or COMPAC to facilitate the sharing of prescription data. Specific attention in the review should be given to recommendations on how our prescription data is collected, who has authority to access the information and how that information can be shared; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session, 2012, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.