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Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 20, 2015

Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act

Amends the Controlled Substances Act to direct the Attorney General, as a condition of granting or renewing the registration of a covered practitioner to dispense, or conduct research with, controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V, to require such covered practitioner to complete training that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines meets the requirements of this Act. Defines a "covered practitioner" as a practitioner that is not a hospital, pharmacy, or veterinarian.

Requires such training to expose covered practitioners to:

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best practices for pain management, including alternatives to prescribing controlled substances;

responsible prescribing of pain medications;

methods for diagnosing, treating, and managing a substance use disorder, including evidence-based nonpharmacological therapies;

ways of linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders; and

tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances.

Directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to establish or support the establishment of at least one free, online training module that meets such requirements to be provided to any covered practitioner registered or applying for registration.

Requires HHS: (1) to establish, maintain, and periodically update a publicly available database providing information on such training modules; and (2) within five years after enactment of this Act, to evaluate and make publicly available a report describing how exposure to training required by this Act has changed prescribing patterns of controlled substances.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · D–MA

Committees

  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
3 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

  2. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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