Missouri again fails to establish statewide prescription database as bill stalls

Missouri will retain its dubious status as the nation’s only state without a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP).

Supporters were hopeful that after seven years of wrangling, the proposal would become law. However, despite initially passing both chambers and making it through several rounds of conference committees, lawmakers reached an impasse Friday afternoon and the bill stalled in the senate.

On Wednesday, the House passed HB 1693, which would establish a statewide program for doctors to monitor prescription drug abuse. While much of the state’s population is covered by local PDMPs, many Missouri jurisdictions still have no system for monitoring use — and possible abuse — of opioids.

In the Senate, traditionally a roadblock for the measure because of entrenched opposition from conservative Republicans, a deal was brokered earlier in the session that ended a GOP-led filibuster.

While the House version was similar to what Senate Republicans have traditionally opposed, the deal called for creation of a joint oversight task force to supervise collection of patient data. The panel would consist of members of state medical panels such as the boards of healing arts, pharmacy, nursing and dentistry.

The group would contract with a private vendor to collect and maintain patient data.

This provision was intended to address concerns of conservative lawmakers who’ve long contended that a government database of personal prescriptions violates privacy rights secured by the fourth amendment.

But on Monday, the plan ran into unexpected trouble. Democrats who have traditionally backed the idea joined with conservative skeptics to torpedo the Senate deal.

Some Democrats in the House took issue with the bill’s fentanyl provision, which would make it a first degree felony to possess any traceable amount of the opiate. Many lawmakers who’ve consistently supported a PDMP voted “no” on the earlier version of the legislation.

When the language was removed, Democrats who previously opposed the legislation changed their tune. Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said the removal of that language was enough to get her support.

Some House Republicans, however, said that Democrats’ previous no votes were a political strategy to kill a crime bill.

Sen. Bill Eigel, a St. Charles Republican, agreed and blamed House Democrats for the stalling. He said that he wouldn’t be willing to allow the legislation to come to the floor unless the House took up and approved the Senate version of the bill that failed the body Monday.

“Why should the senate bail the Missouri House of Representatives out on this bill, when they chose to play political games in the first place,” Eigel said. “When they’ve had every opportunity going back to February to pass this bill, and instead of taking that opportunity, they put it on the Senate on the last day of session to bail them out.”

After just over an hour of debate, Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, the Senate sponsor of the bill, took the bill off the floor for consideration. The Senate did not vote on the legislation.

Senate leadership said while they were disappointed, PDMP will be a priority in the next session.

“It is time for us to put this issue behind us. And so it will be at the forefront next year, again, of something that we’re going to address,” Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, said. “While I do believe it is disappointing, we will come back, we will try again and I will be optimistic that we’ll be successful next year.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 5:51 PM.