Section 24B. The department shall annually determine, through the prescription drug monitoring system established in section 24A, the mean and median quantity and volume of prescriptions for opiates contained in Schedules II and III of section 3 issued by practitioners registered under section 7; provided, however, that mean and median prescription quantities and volumes shall be determined within categories of practitioners of a similar specialty or practice type as determined by the department.

The department shall work in conjunction with the respective boards of licensure to annually determine each practitioner's Schedule II and Schedule III opiate prescribing quantity and volume and the practitioner's standing with regard to the mean and median quantity and volume for the practitioner's category of specialty or practice type; provided, however, that the practitioner's standing shall be expressed as a percentile ranking for the practitioner within the practitioner's category. Each practitioner whose prescribing exceeds the mean or median within the practitioner's category shall be sent notice of the practitioner's percentile ranking in a manner determined by the department. Any practitioner may request the practitioner's own percentile ranking within the practitioner's own category of practice. The ranking determined for each practitioner shall be confidential, and shall be distributed by the department or by the relevant board of licensure only to the practitioner to which the information pertains. Such information shall not; (a) constitute a public record as defined in clause twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4; (b) be admissible as evidence in a civil or criminal proceeding; or (c) be the sole basis for investigation by a licensure board.

The department shall also coordinate with the respective boards of licensure to make resources available to prescribers regarding ways to change prescribing practices and incorporate alternative pain management options into a prescriber's practice.