(a) General. Information covered by §§1.500 through 1.527 of this part may be disclosed to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs pursuant to the limitations set forth in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:

Controlled substance means any substance identified in 21 CFR part 1308 as a schedule II, III, IV, or V controlled substance.

State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) means a State controlled substance monitoring program, including a program approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 399O of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-3).

(c) Participation in PDMPs. VA may disclose to PDMPs any of the following information concerning the prescription of controlled substances:

(1) Demographic information of veterans and dependents of veterans who are prescribed a controlled substance. Examples include name, address, and telephone number.

(2) Information about the prescribed controlled substances. Examples include the identification of the substance by a national drug code number, quantity dispensed, number of refills ordered, whether the substances were dispensed as a refill of a prescription or as a first-time request, and date of origin of the prescription.

(3) Prescriber information. Examples include the prescriber's United States Drug Enforcement Administration-issued identification number authorizing the individual to prescribe controlled substances and United States Department of Health and Human Services-issued National Provider Identifier number.

(Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552a; 38 U.S.C. 5701, 7332; 45 CFR 164.512(b))

[78 FR 9593, Feb. 11, 2013]