(720 ILCS 570/320)

Sec. 320. Advisory committee.

(a) There is created a Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee to assist the Department of Human Services in implementing the Prescription Monitoring Program created by this Article and to advise the Department on the professional performance of prescribers and dispensers and other matters germane to the advisory committee's field of competence.

(b) The Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee shall consist of 15 members appointed by the Clinical Director of the Prescription Monitoring Program composed of prescribers and dispensers licensed to practice medicine in his or her respective profession as follows: one family or primary care physician; one pain specialist physician; 4 other physicians, one of whom may be an ophthalmologist; 2 advanced practice registered nurses; one physician assistant; one optometrist; one dentist; one clinical representative from a statewide organization representing hospitals; and 3 pharmacists. The Advisory Committee members serving on August 26, 2018 (the effective date of Public Act 100-1093) shall continue to serve until January 1, 2019. Prescriber and dispenser nominations for membership on the Committee shall be submitted by their respective professional associations. If there are more nominees than membership positions for a prescriber or dispenser category, as provided in this subsection (b), the Clinical Director of the Prescription Monitoring Program shall appoint a member or members for each profession as provided in this subsection (b), from the nominations to serve on the advisory committee. At the first meeting of the Committee in 2019 members shall draw lots for initial terms and 6 members shall serve 3 years, 5 members shall serve 2 years, and 5 members shall serve one year. Thereafter, members shall serve 3-year terms. Members may serve more than one term but no more than 3 terms. The Clinical Director of the Prescription Monitoring Program may appoint a representative of an organization representing a profession required to be appointed. The Clinical Director of the Prescription Monitoring Program shall serve as the Secretary of the committee.

(c) The advisory committee may appoint a chairperson and other officers as it deems appropriate.

(d) The members of the advisory committee shall receive no compensation for their services as members of the advisory committee, unless appropriated by the General Assembly, but may be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in serving on the advisory committee.

(e) The advisory committee shall:

(1) provide a uniform approach to reviewing this Act in order to determine whether changes should be recommended to the General Assembly;

(2) review current drug schedules in order to manage changes to the administrative rules pertaining to the utilization of this Act;

(3) review the following: current clinical guidelines developed by health care professional organizations on the prescribing of opioids or other controlled substances; accredited continuing education programs related to prescribing and dispensing; programs or information developed by health care professional organizations that may be used to assess patients or help ensure compliance with prescriptions; updates from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other public and private organizations which are relevant to prescribing and dispensing; relevant medical studies; and other publications which involve the prescription of controlled substances;

(4) make recommendations for inclusion of these materials or other studies which may be effective resources for prescribers and dispensers on the Internet website of the inquiry system established under Section 318;

(5) semi-annually review the content of the Internet website of the inquiry system established pursuant to Section 318 to ensure this Internet website has the most current available information;

(6) semi-annually review opportunities for federal grants and other forms of funding to support projects which will increase the number of pilot programs which integrate the inquiry system with electronic health records; and

(7) semi-annually review communication to be sent to all registered users of the inquiry system established pursuant to Section 318, including recommendations for relevant accredited continuing education and information regarding prescribing and dispensing.

(f) The Advisory Committee shall select from its members 10 members of the Peer Review Committee composed of:

(1) 3 physicians;

(2) 3 pharmacists;

(3) one dentist;

(4) one advanced practice registered nurse;

(4.5) (blank);

(5) one physician assistant; and

(6) one optometrist.

The purpose of the Peer Review Committee is to establish a formal peer review of professional performance of prescribers and dispensers. The deliberations, information, and communications of the Peer Review Committee are privileged and confidential and shall not be disclosed in any manner except in accordance with current law.

(1) The Peer Review Committee shall periodically review the data contained within the prescription monitoring program to identify those prescribers or dispensers who may be prescribing or dispensing outside the currently accepted standard and practice of their profession. The Peer Review Committee member, whose profession is the same as the prescriber or dispenser being reviewed, shall prepare a preliminary report and recommendation for any non-action or action. The Prescription Monitoring Program Clinical Director and staff shall provide the necessary assistance and data as required.

(2) The Peer Review Committee may identify prescribers or dispensers who may be prescribing outside the currently accepted medical standards in the course of their professional practice and send the identified prescriber or dispenser a request for information regarding their prescribing or dispensing practices. This request for information shall be sent via certified mail, return receipt requested. A prescriber or dispenser shall have 30 days to respond to the request for information.

(3) The Peer Review Committee shall refer a prescriber or a dispenser to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in the following situations:

(i) if a prescriber or dispenser does not respond to three successive requests for information;

(ii) in the opinion of a majority of members of the Peer Review Committee, the prescriber or dispenser does not have a satisfactory explanation for the practices identified by the Peer Review Committee in its request for information; or

(iii) following communications with the Peer Review Committee, the prescriber or dispenser does not sufficiently rectify the practices identified in the request for information in the opinion of a majority of the members of the Peer Review Committee.

(4) The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may initiate an investigation and discipline in accordance with current laws and rules for any prescriber or dispenser referred by the Peer Review Committee.

(5) The Peer Review Committee shall prepare an annual report starting on July 1, 2017. This report shall contain the following information: the number of times the Peer Review Committee was convened; the number of prescribers or dispensers who were reviewed by the Peer Review Committee; the number of requests for information sent out by the Peer Review Committee; and the number of prescribers or dispensers referred to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The annual report shall be delivered electronically to the Department and to the General Assembly. The report to the General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall direct. The report prepared by the Peer Review Committee shall not identify any prescriber, dispenser, or patient.

(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18; 100-861, eff. 8-14-18; 100-1093, eff. 8-26-18;101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-414, eff. 8-16-19.)