Practitioners who dispense controlled substances subject to revised reporting requirements

December 15, 2021
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Quick Summary:
Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, California-licensed practitioners who dispense controlled substances and who are currently submitting electronic data to CURES via aaicures.com must take certain actions according to an email the Department of Justice sent Dec. 9 to “all CURES data submitters.”

Update: Submission to new CURES data collection vendor begins Feb. 23

Feb. 7, 2022: The California Department of Justice on Feb. 3 notified all CURES data submitters that they can continue to send data to Atlantic Associations Inc. through Feb. 22 but must begin reporting dispensation data to the new vendor, Bamboo Health, on Feb. 23. The original deadline to switch was Feb. 9.

Dec. 15, 2021: California-licensed pharmacists, dentists and others who dispense controlled substances must follow revised reporting requirements beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Those requirements are different than the requirements for prescribing or administering controlled substances and separate from California’s electronic-prescribing mandate for all substances, both controlled and noncontrolled, which also takes effect Jan. 1. 

Among other things, legislation (AB 528 by Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Campbell) signed into law in 2019 required dispensing pharmacies, clinics, physicians, dentists and other dispensers to report specific information beginning Jan. 1, 2021, to CURES no later than one working day after releasing a controlled substance to a patient or patient’s representative, except as specified in the bill.

Dispensing practitioners have been submitting data to Atlantic Associates Inc., California’s current prescription data collection vendor. The California Department of Justice recently announced it will transition to Bamboo Health’s PMP Clearinghouse solution for data collection services in early 2022.

Dispensers of controlled substances who are currently submitting electronic data to CURES via aaicures.com must take the following actions according to emails the DOJ sent to “all CURES data submitters.” CURES is California’s prescription drug monitoring database.

  • Beginning Jan. 1, 2022: Register with the Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse.
  • Beginning Feb. 23, 2022: Begin reporting through the PMP Clearinghouse (extended from original Feb. 9 deadline).

The DOJ in its email “strongly” encourages data submitters to “complete the registration process as early as possible” to ensure they are prepared to begin submitting data to the new system beginning Feb. 9. Atlantic Associates Inc. via aaicures.com will not accept data after Feb. 8.

Next steps and additional resources

Dispensing practitioners will receive a Data Submission Guide for Dispensers for the new PMP Clearinghouse system, which will guide registration and account set-up for data submission. Bamboo Health will also provide additional details directly to dispensing practitioners in the next three weeks. Dispensing practitioners who have questions can contact Bamboo Health at 855.502.0999 or submit a ticket online for assistance. 

Dentists can find additional information in CDA Practice Support’s Prescribing and Dispensing Q&A. 

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