Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
HEALTH INFORMATION
Chapter 246-470 - Prescription monitoring program
Section 246-470-060 - Law enforcement, prosecutorial officials, coroners, and medical examiners' access to information from the program

(1) Registration for access. Local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal law enforcement officials, prosecutorial officials, coroners, and medical examiners shall register with the department in order to receive an authentication to access information from the program. The registration process shall be established by the department.

(2) Verification by the department. The department shall verify the authentication and identity of local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal law enforcement officials, prosecutorial officials, coroners, and medical examiners before allowing access to any prescription monitoring information.

(3) Procedure for accessing prescription information. Local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal law enforcement officials, prosecutorial officials, coroners and medical examiners may access information from the program electronically using the authentication issued by the department.

(4) Local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal law enforcement officials and prosecutorial officials shall electronically attest that the requested information is required for a bona fide specific investigation involving a designated person prior to accessing prescription monitoring information.

(5) Local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal coroner or medical examiners shall electronically attest that the requested information is required for a bona fide specific investigation to determine cause of death prior to accessing prescription monitoring information.

(6) Local, state, federally recognized tribe, or federal law enforcement officials, prosecutorial officials, coroners and medical examiners may alternately submit a written request via mail or facsimile transmission in a format established by the department. The written request must contain an attestation that the requested information is required for a bona fide specific investigation involving a designated person or for a bona fide specific investigation to determine cause of death.

(7) Reporting lost or stolen authentication. If the authentication issued by the department is lost, missing, or the security of the authentication is compromised, the local, state, federally recognized tribe, and federal law enforcement officials, prosecutorial officials, coroners or medical examiners shall notify the department by telephone and in writing as soon as reasonably possible.

(8) All requests for, uses of, and disclosures of prescription monitoring information by authorized persons must be consistent with the program's mandate as outlined in RCW 70.225.040 and this chapter.