BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 500
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 18, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                      SB 500 (Lieu) - As Amended:  May 29, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Business and  
          Professions  Vote:                            11-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Medical Board of California (MBC) to  
          update pain management case review standards by July 1, 2015,  
          and every five years thereafter, and to convene a task force to  
          develop and recommend the updated standards to the board.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor and absorbable costs to MBC (Contingent Fund of the MBC)  
          to meet this bill's requirements. The MBC is already convening a  
          Prescribing Task Force that is in the process of reviewing pain  
          management standards. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  This bill is intended to ensure the MBC's standards  
            for pain management are current.  This bill is  
            author-sponsored and supported by MBC.

           2)Pain Management  .  Medical standards for pain management are  
            constantly evolving, and strive to identify appropriate  
            treatment protocols for pain, recognizing potential harm  
            caused by overtreatment, undertreatment, and addiction to  
            powerful pain medication.  Current law requires MBC to develop  
            standards by 2002, but does not require MBC to revisit the  
            standards.  MBC last revised its standards for prescribing  
            controlled substances in 2007, and is currently in the process  
            of revising them.  











                                                                  SB 500
                                                                  Page  2

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081