HB151 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

April WeaverSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Pain Management Act, registration and regulation of physicians providing pain management services Board of Medical Examiners, increased powers over pain providers and clinics, Secs. 34-24-1001 to 34-24-1010, inclusive, added

Summary

HB151 creates the Alabama Pain Management Act to register and regulate physicians who provide pain management services and gives the Board of Medical Examiners new enforcement powers.

What This Bill Does

The bill adds a new article that requires doctors who treat chronic pain with controlled substances to register with the Board, renew that registration annually, and meet specific credential and reporting requirements. It grants the Board authority to investigate, inspect records, issue subpoenas, impose sanctions, and suspend registrations quickly if there is an immediate danger to public health. It also sets standards for the ownership of pain clinics, the role and qualifications of medical directors, training requirements, and access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, while allowing exemptions for certain facilities and situations.

Who It Affects

• Physicians who provide pain management services: must register, meet credentialing and training requirements for medical directors, obtain and maintain PDMP access, undergo background checks, and pay registration fees; they are subject to inspections, investigations, and possible sanctions or fines.
• Pain management practice locations and medical directors: must be owned/operated by eligible entities, designate a medical director with specified qualifications, ensure all practitioners at the location are registered and PDMP-compliant, and are subject to inspections and disciplinary actions; exemptions exist for certain facilities and situations.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Pain Management Act as Article 11, granting the Board of Medical Examiners broad authority to regulate, investigate, suspend registrations, and sanction physicians providing pain management services, including emergency suspensions when public health is at risk.
• Requires annual pain management registrations for physicians, with prerequisites (DEA registration, Alabama controlled substances certificate, PDMP enrollment, fingerprint-based background check), location ownership/medical director requirements, registration fees up to $300, and penalties for violations (fines up to $10,000 per violation and possible revocation) plus reporting for multiple violations.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Physicians