AB 907

Continuing education

This bill requires a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse

prescriber, podiatrist, dentist, or optometrist who is authorized to prescribe

controlled substances, when renewing his or her license issued by the applicable

credentialing board, to submit proof of completion of continuing education

requirements promulgated by rule of the board regarding best practices in

prescribing controlled substances.

Buprenorphine combination products; federal waivers

Under current federal law, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration

(DEA) registers health care practitioners to dispense controlled substances, and

practitioners who dispense narcotic drugs to individuals for addiction treatment

must additionally obtain a separate DEA registration for that purpose. However,

qualifying health care practitioners may, subject to certain requirements and

limitations, obtain a waiver from the requirement to obtain a separate DEA

registration to dispense those drugs for addiction treatment. Health care

practitioners eligible to obtain and practice under such a waiver include qualifying

physicians and, until October 1, 2021, qualifying physician assistants and nurse

practitioners. In order to qualify for a waiver, a nurse practitioner or physician

assistant must be supervised by, or work in collaboration with, a qualifying

physician, if the nurse practitioner or physician assistant is required by state law to

act in collaboration with or under the supervision of a physician.

Under rules promulgated by the state Medical Examining Board, the practice

of a physician assistant must be under the supervision of one or more physicians, and

under rules promulgated by the state Board of Nursing, advanced practice nurse

prescribers must work in a collaborative relationship with a physician.

This bill provides that, with respect to the ability of an advanced practice nurse

prescriber or physician assistant to obtain and practice under a waiver, a physician

who satisfies any of the criteria specified in federal law to be eligible to obtain a

waiver is considered eligible to serve as a qualifying physician for purposes of the

collaboration or supervision requirement under federal law, regardless of whether

the physician himself or herself holds a waiver.

The bill prohibits the Department of Health Services from requiring prior

authorization for or another limitation on prescribing and dispensing of

buprenorphine combination products to a Medical Assistance recipient, who is not

pregnant, by a health care provider who possesses a valid waiver, if the prior

authorization or other limitation is not required under the federal law.

Substance abuse counseling

This bill makes the following changes regarding substance abuse counseling:

1. Allows marriage and family therapists and professional counselors to

represent themselves to the public as substance abuse counselors, clinical