by Kristy Kimball

In the last Utah legislative session, several bills were passed that affect the obligations of healthcare facilities and providers. Following is a summary of three important bills that went into effect on May 14, 2019, of which all health facilities and providers should be aware.

Mandatory Reporting of Drug Diversion to Law Enforcement

House Bill 251 requires mandatory reporting to law enforcement when one has knowledge of drug diversion. Specifically, Utah law now holds that an individual is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if they: (i) know that a Practitioner is diverting 500 or more morphine milligram equivalents to another person for an unlawful purpose; and (ii) fail to report to law enforcement. The bill defines “Practitioner” as an individual who is either (i) allowed to “administer, dispense, distribute, or prescribe a drug in the course of professional practice;” or (ii) who is employed by such an individual. The law broadly applies to those involved in providing medications to patients in any manner (e.g., nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists) as well as those working for such individuals. Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-2204.

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