Sacramento, California - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a reminder to healthcare professionals about the upcoming deadline to register for the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) database. All health practitioners licensed to prescribe or dispense scheduled medications are required by law to sign up for CURES by July 1, 2016.
In 2013, Attorney General Harris sponsored Senate Bill 809, authored by then-State Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D- Concord), which created and permanently funded a new state-of-the-art prescription drug database referred to as “CURES 2.0.” The legislation – supported by a broad coalition of health, safety, and consumer advocates – included a requirement that all healthcare practitioners authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances must apply for CURES access by January 1, 2016. This deadline was subsequently extended to July 1, 2016.
“CURES 2.0 is not only a state-of-the-art, innovative, and secure database to improve healthcare providers’ ability to combat prescription drug abuse, it’s also a model for the nation on how to address this epidemic,” said Attorney General Harris. “California will continue to lead the country in the adoption of technology to help curb prescription drug abuse and the diversion of controlled substances statewide.”
The fully upgraded CURES 2.0 database was launched in January 2016 through a joint partnership between the California Departments of Justice and Consumer Affairs. CURES enables healthcare providers to review their patients’ medication histories before prescribing new controlled substances. In addition to providing users with faster and more reliable access to patient activity reports, the upgraded 2.0 system features cutting-edge analytics for flagging at-risk patients, allowing medical professionals to prescribe wisely and helping to prevent abuse or diversion of controlled medications such as opioids.
In December 2015, Attorney General Harris also announced a new streamlined registration process beginning in January 2016, which allows healthcare professionals to apply for CURES access and verify their credentials entirely online using secure web browsers. Prior to the launch, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to members of the medical community urging them to only use secure software to access confidential and sensitive patient information.
To sign up for CURES, new applicants should visit oag.ca.gov/cures and click the link to register. New registrants will need their license type and number to register. Previously registered users of the CURES 1.0 system are not required to re-register.
A registration “tips and tricks” document in multiple languages is attached to the online version of this release at www.oag.ca.gov/news. In addition, the state’s 2016-17 budget included new funding for user-end outreach and support positions within the California Department of Justice to help CURES applicants and users navigate the system.
