H.R. 5718House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

PRO Act

Introduced May 9, 2018

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 9:48 PM UTC

The Perioperative Reduction of Opioids (PRO) Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to set up a technical expert panel that will develop recommendations for cutting opioid use in both inpatient and outpatient surgical settings and for improving pain‑management practices. Within a year, the agency must also report to Congress on current opioid prescribing patterns in high‑volume surgeries and suggest ways to improve data collection. The bill mainly affects surgeons, hospitals, Medicare payment processes, and patients undergoing surgery.

Key Provisions

  • Within six months of enactment, HHS must convene a panel of medical and surgical experts to advise on reducing peri‑operative opioid exposure, shared decision‑making, patient education, misuse prevention, and treatment algorithms for opioid‑tolerant patients.
  • The panel’s recommendations must be compiled into a public report and submitted to Congress no later than one year after the law takes effect.
  • HHS must also produce a separate report within one year that identifies the surgical procedures with the highest volume, details current opioid prescribing data (dosage, duration, refills, regional anesthesia use, naloxone use, etc.), and evaluates storage and disposal practices.
  • The data‑collection report must include recommendations for improving how peri‑operative opioid use information is gathered, reported, and analyzed.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

May 23, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 9, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

May 9, 2018

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

May 23, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 9, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5718

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 9, 2018

Mr. Smith of Missouri (for himself and Mr. Higgins of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To provide for a technical expert panel to provide recommendations on reducing opioid use in the surgical setting and on best practices for pain management, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Perioperative Reduction of Opioids Act or the PRO Act.

2.

Technical expert panel on reducing surgical setting opioid use; data collection on perioperative opioid use

(a)

Technical expert panel on reducing surgical setting opioid use

(1)

In general

Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall convene a technical expert panel, including medical and surgical specialty societies, to provide recommendations on reducing opioid use in the inpatient and outpatient surgical settings and on best practices for pain management, including with respect to the following:

(A)

Approaches that limit patient exposure to opioids during the perioperative period, including pre-surgical and post-surgical injections.

(B)

Shared decisionmaking with patients and families on pain management, including recommendations for the development of an evaluation and management code for purposes of payment under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act that would account for time spent on shared decisionmaking.

(C)

Education on the safe use, storage, and disposal of opioids.

(D)

Prevention of opioid misuse and abuse after discharge.

(E)

Development of a clinical algorithm to treat opiate tolerant patients and reduce reliance on opiates for acute pain during the perioperative period.

(2)

Report

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress and make public a report containing the recommendations developed under paragraph (1) and recommendations for broader implementation of pain management protocols that limit the use of opioids in the perioperative setting and upon discharge from such setting.

(b)

Data collection on perioperative opioid use

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report that contains the following:

(1)

The diagnosis-related group codes identified by the Secretary as having the highest volume of surgeries.

(2)

With respect to each of such diagnosis-related group codes so identified, a determination by the Secretary of the data that is both available and reported on opioid use following such surgeries, such as with respect to—

(A)

surgical volumes, practices, and opioid prescribing patterns;

(B)

opioid consumption, including—

(i)

perioperative days of therapy;

(ii)

average daily dose at hospital, including high dosage greater than 90 milligram morphine equivalent;

(iii)

post-discharge prescriptions and other combination drugs that are used before intervention and after intervention;

(iv)

quantity and duration of opioid prescription at discharge; and

(v)

quantity consumed and number of refills;

(C)

regional anesthesia and analgesia practices, including pre-surgical and post-surgical injections;

(D)

naloxone reversal;

(E)

post-operative respiratory failure;

(F)

information about storage and disposal; and

(G)

such other information as the Secretary may specify.

(3)

Recommendations for improving data collection on perioperative opioid use, including an analysis to identify barriers to collecting, reporting, and analyzing the data described in paragraph (2), including barriers related to technological availability.