1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; requiring continuing education training on prescribing opioid 
1.3 	pain medication;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.4 	144.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [144.063] MANDATORY PRESCRIBER TRAINING FOR OPIOID 
1.7 	PRESCRIPTIONS.
1.8 	(a) The commissioner of health, in collaboration with the Prescription Monitoring 
1.9 	Program Advisory Task Force under section 152.126, subdivision 3, and the health-related 
1.10 	licensing boards, shall establish standards and requirements for a mandatory opioid 
1.11 	prescription training course for health care practitioners who have prescribing authority 
1.12 	under the practitioner's scope of practice. As used in this section, "opioid" means a drug 
1.13 	or medication that relieves pain, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, codeine, 
1.14 	heroin, and fentanyl. The course work shall include the following areas: use and misuse 
1.15 	of opioid pain relievers; how to minimize the potential for misuse; appropriate training in 
1.16 	pain management with opioids; practice management; legal and regulatory requirements; 
1.17 	opioid pharmacology; circumstances under which opioids should be prescribed for 
1.18 	treatment of various types of pain and the duration of treatment; state of the art and 
1.19 	science governing efficacy of opioids used in the treatment of chronic pain; strategies for 
1.20 	addressing opioid addiction; strategies for managing challenging patient situations; and 
1.21 	patient monitoring and education. The curricula developed by a nationally recognized 
1.22 	health care professional, specialty, provider association, or nationally recognized 
1.23 	pain management association may be considered in implementing this section. The 
1.24 	commissioner of health shall designate which courses meet the standards and requirements 
2.1 	established for the prescriber training for opioid prescriptions. The commissioner shall 
2.2 	publish a list of approved courses on the department's Web site.
2.3 	(b) A health care practitioner who has prescribing authority under the practitioner's 
2.4 	scope of practice who is licensed, registered, or certified in this state, and is registered 
2.5 	under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and is in possession of a registration number 
2.6 	from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration shall, prior to obtaining licensure, 
2.7 	registration, or certification to practice, complete ten hours of course work approved by 
2.8 	the commissioner of health on opioid prescriptions and pain management and two hours 
2.9 	annually thereafter. The annual two hours of opioid prescription and pain management 
2.10 	training shall count toward the practitioner's existing continuing education requirement 
2.11 	for licensure, registration, or certification.