Committee approves PDMP changes to add OB‑GYN, recovery‑partnership seat and give medical examiner access

The Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee approved a bill to add two members to the Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program (PDMP) oversight committee and to allow the state medical examiner and recognized mortality‑review teams to access PDMP data for investigations.

Representative Lee Johnson, sponsor, said adding an OB‑GYN and a representative of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership would bring crucial clinical and recovery‑system perspectives to the committee. "One of the issues we've had as this opioid crisis has unfurled is we've had an increasing number of babies born addicted to opioids," he said as a rationale for adding an OB‑GYN.

Laura Xu, general counsel for the Department of Health, told members that some boards receive a de minimis stipend and that she would follow up with specifics about compensation. Xu also explained how PDMP information is used: subcommittees of the medical board review prescribing data to identify potential overprescribers and the PDMP can provide information for hearings and criminal subpoenas. She emphasized PDMP data remains confidential and is not subject to FOIA or civil discovery, available only under subpoena for criminal matters.

Members asked the department to provide statistics on subpoenas and actions the committee has taken; the department agreed to supply that information. No public opposition was recorded, and the committee passed the bill by voice vote.