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HB 1185

Prescription Monitoring Program; overdose information.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rod Willett

HB 1185 enables Virginia pharmacists and doctors to access patients' overdose history through the state's prescription monitoring database to improve safe prescribing.

Left in Finance and Appropriations
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Bill Summary · HB 1185

Legislative bill overview

HB 1185 expands Virginia's Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to include overdose information, allowing healthcare providers and pharmacists to access data on patient overdose events. The bill aims to give medical professionals better visibility into patients' overdose history to inform safer prescribing decisions and intervention strategies.

Why is this important

Overdose deaths remain a significant public health crisis, and access to overdose history could help prevent future overdoses by identifying high-risk patients and enabling targeted interventions. Healthcare providers currently lack systematic access to this critical safety information when making treatment decisions, potentially missing opportunities for harm reduction or substance use disorder treatment referrals.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Expanding PMP data collection to include overdose events raises questions about patient privacy, data security, and potential stigmatization of individuals with overdose history
  • Data accuracy and liability: Questions about who reports overdose information, how verified it is, and whether providers could face liability for prescribing decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate overdose data
  • Implementation costs: The bill's progression through Finance and Appropriations suggests budget considerations—system infrastructure upgrades and staff training would require state resources without clear funding mechanisms identified

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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