Relating to the information provided a patient prior to prescribing a controlled substance for acute or chronic pain

This bill relates to the information to be provided by a prescribing practitioner to a patient prior to the prescribing of a controlled substance for acute or chronic pain. The bill provides that prior to issuing an initial prescription of a schedule II controlled substance or any other prescription opioid in a course of treatment for acute or chronic pain, and again prior to issuing the third prescription in the course of treatment, a prescribing practitioner shall discuss with the patient, or the patient’s parent or guardian if the patient is under years of age and is not an emancipated minor, the risks associated with the substance being prescribed. The information to be discussed includes but is not limited to: the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid drugs and the dangers of taking opioid drugs with alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other central nervous system depressants; the reasons why the prescription is necessary; alternative treatments that may be available; and the risks associated with the use of the substance being prescribed. The prescribing practitioner shall include a note in the patient’s medical record that the patient or the patient’s parent or guardian, as applicable, has discussed with the practitioner the risks of developing a physical or psychological dependence on the prescribed substance and alternative treatments that may be available. The bill does not apply to a prescription for the substances specified in the bill for a patient who is currently in active treatment for cancer or receiving hospice or palliative care through a hospice program, for the resident of a long-term care facility, or to any substances that are being prescribed for use in the treatment of substance use disorder or opioid dependence.