Mandatory Patient Prescription Reporting Data Base

On July 1, 2016, Health and Safety Code Section 11165.1 required all designated California licensed professionals who are authorized to prescribe, order, administer and/or furnish Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances to register, on a database that is commonly referred to as CURES 2.0,  the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System. CURES is the prescription drug monitoring program mandated in California. Practitioners can access tips and  Registration pointers as well. Other critical and substantive information is available in the form of a Practitioner’s Manual.

Effective October 2, 2018, it is mandatory for Physicians (MD); Osteopathic Doctors (DO); Dentists (DDS); Podiatrists (DPM); Naturopathic Physicians (NP);  Physician Assistants (PA); Optometrists (OD); Nurse Practitioners (NP); Nurse Midwives (either CNM and/or CM); and Veterinarians (DVM) to consult CURES prior to performing any of the above services. After the initial consultation and at least once every four months thereafter, each of these practitioners must consult Cures 2.0  if the controlled substance continues to be part of the respective patient’s treatment. It is noteworthy that the CURES data collection vendor has published data submission instructions. The consultation requirement as such is inapplicable to Pharmacists (RPh); however, as other dispensing practitioners are obligated to monitor prescriptions of controlled substances, Pharmacists are also required to report on a weekly basis information regarding Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances being dispensed. The applicable Health and Safety Code, however, sets forth limited and designated exemptions.

It is noteworthy that a patient can obtain his or her CURES prescription history through the IPA, commonly referred to as the Information Practices Act. Each Patient Activity Report contains the following record: the patient’s name; date of birth; address; name of the prescriber and DEA number; name and license number of the pharmacy; date the prescription was filled; prescription number; drug name, drug form, drug quantity and strength; number of days of the supply, and each refill number. One may obtain the IPA Request form by contacting the CURES Help Desk.

The goal of Cures 2.0 is to ensure patient safety. Additionally, each particular licensing agency has access to the IPA information to regulate those whom they issue a professional license to ensure they follow the law and maintain proper standards and practices. Spital and Associates is an award winning law firm that provides legal advice and representation in investigations and disciplinary actions brought against individuals and entities that wish to obtain or currently have a professional and occupational license in California.