(a) In support of the State's fundamental interest in ensuring the well-being of employees and employers, it is the intent of the General Assembly to protect employees from the dangers of prescription drug abuse while maintaining a balance between the employee's health and the employee's expedient return to work.

(b) As it pertains to workers' compensation claims, the Commissioner of Labor, in consultation with the Department of Health, the State Pharmacologist, the Vermont Board of Medical Practice, and the Vermont Medical Society, shall adopt rules consistent with the best practices governing the prescription of opioids, including patient screening, drug screening, and claim adjudication for patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain. In adopting rules, the Commissioner shall consider guidelines and standards such as the Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines published by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and other medical authorities with expertise in the treatment of chronic pain. The rules shall be consistent with the standards and guidelines under 18 V.S.A. § 4289 and any rules adopted by the Department of Health pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 4289. (Added 2013, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 52.)