Controlled substances: CURES database.

Existing law classifies certain controlled substances into Schedules I to V, inclusive. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain the Controlled Substances Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) for the electronic monitoring of the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, Schedule III, and Schedule IV controlled substances by a health care practitioner authorized to prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense a Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substance. Existing law requires an authorized health care practitioner to consult the CURES database to review a patient's controlled substance history before prescribing a Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substance to the patient for the first time and, on or before July 1, 2021, at least once every 6 months thereafter, as specified. Existing law makes exceptions for the requirement to consult the CURES database, including if a health care practitioner prescribes, orders, administers, or furnishes a controlled substance to a patient as part of the patient's treatment for surgical, radiotherapeutic, therapeutic, or diagnosed procedure, as specified. This bill would create an additional exception to the requirement to consult the CURES database for a health care practitioner who is employed by a substance use disorder treatment clinic or program who is treating patients who are enrolled in substance abuse disorder treatment with regularly prescribed or furnished controlled substances if there have been consultations in the CURES database within the previous 6 months.