State lawmakers are looking at limits for opioid prescriptions

Patients would only get a week’s supply of opioids on their initial prescription for the drugs under a bill filed Monday in the Florida Legislature.

The bill, filed by state Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, is meant to limit the oversupply of opioids for temporary pain.

It would allow for 30-day renewals of opioid prescriptions after the initial seven-day prescription.

It includes a requirement that doctors consult the state’s prescription drug monitoring database before prescribing controlled substances.

Doctors would also be required to complete a two-hour continuing education course on prescribing opioids for their biennial license renewal.

No similar measure has been filed in the state House.

The seven-day limit isn’t as restrictive as the one supported by Gov. Rick Scott.

At an appearance in West Palm Beach on Sept. 26, Scott called on the Legislature to restrict initial opioid prescriptions to just three days, with a seven-day prescription possible under certain strict circumstances.

He also requested the requirement that doctors check the prescription drug database that is a feature of Bean’s bill.

Scott is seeking an additional $50 million for substance abuse treatment, recovery services and funding for the Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council, which provides money to local and state law enforcement agencies working cases involving major drug crimes.

The day after Scott’s speech, PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry’s trade group, announced it would support a seven-day limit on initial prescriptions for opioids.

“Appropriate script limits, when combined with improved prescriber education and better coverage of treatment alternatives, can help ensure proper prescribing and reduce the risk of abuse,” said Stephen Ubl, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Whether the Legislature signs off on additional funding to fight the opiod epidemic will be determined separately during budget talks that will get underway when the session begins in January.