Program establishment; Director’s authority.

There is established the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program within the Department. The Program shall: Establish, maintain, and administer an electronic system to monitor the dispensing of covered substances; Provide dispensers with a basic file layout to enable electronic transmission of the information required under this chapter; and Establish and maintain a process for verifying the credentials of and authorizing the use of prescription information by those individuals and agencies listed in § 48-853.05(b) and (c). The Director may contract with another District agency or a private vendor as may be necessary for the implementation and maintenance of the Program. Any such contractor shall be bound to comply with the provisions regarding confidentiality of data in this chapter and shall be subject to the penalties specified in this chapter. The Director shall also establish a multi-discipline advisory committee, which shall function under the Department to assist in the implementation and evaluation of the Program.