This spring, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill that changes the laws surrounding opioid prescriptions. What does the legislation do?

Senate Bill 1446 places limits on the number of opioid pills that physicians can prescribe and puts in place safeguards to help curb the potential for opioid abuse. Starting on Nov. 1, physicians will only be able to initially prescribe a week’s worth of opioid drugs to manage acute pain and must limit the dosage to the lowest effective dose. Before renewing the prescription for up to seven more days, the law requires a consultation with the patient to determine that the patient needs the prescription and that the prescription does not present a risk for abuse, addiction, or diversion. If after the initial 14 days the physician determines that the patient still needs opioids to manage pain, the physician must follow the procedures to treat chronic pain that are outlined below. Additionally, the law places greater responsibility on physicians by requiring one hour of continuing education in pain management or in opioid abuse and addiction each year before the physician renews his or her license to practice and by providing for disciplinary action if a practitioner fails to check the Oklahoma Prescription Monitoring Program database. The law also aims to generally increase communication between prescribers and patients by requiring documented discussions on the risks associated with opioids.

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For further clarification, click here to view a letter from the Attorney General’s office on SB 1446.

Burkes, Paula (2018, Oct 19). Opioid prescribing laws to change Nov. 1, 2018. NewsOK. Retrieved from https://newsok.com/