Detailed Summary

Methadone Treatment and Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) direct the Administrator of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to award grants to states and nonprofit community organizations to distribute culturally sensitive educational materials about the dangers of opioid abuse, including methadone abuse; (2) establish a Controlled Substances Clinical Standards Commission to develop safe dosing standards for all forms of methadone, benchmark standards for the reduction of methadone abuse, appropriate conversion factors when transitioning patients from one opioid to another, guidelines for initiating pain management with methadone, and patient and practitioner education standards; (3) increase funding for the controlled substance monitoring program; and (4) require the completion of a Model Opioid Treatment Program Mortality Report by October 1, 2009, and the establishment of a National Opioid Death Registry by January 1, 2010, to track all aPD-related deaths.

Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) set forth training requirements for health care practitioners registered to prescribe or dispense methadone or other opioids; and (2) require opioid treatment clinics to make acceptable arrangements for the distribution of methadone to patients restricted from taking home doses when the clinic is closed.

Prohibits the writing of prescriptions or dispensing of a 40-mg diskette of methadone unless such prescription or dispensation is consistent with current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) methadone policy.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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