Fla. Gov. Announces Proposed 3-Day Limit on Opioid Prescriptions

Fla. Gov. Announces Proposed 3-Day Limit on Opioid Prescriptions

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-26/fl-gov-announces-3-day-limit-on-opioid-prescriptions

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced a new proposal for a three-day limit on prescribed opioids in his state. Scott said Tuesday he will propose the legislation and more than $50 million to next year’s budget to combat opioid abuse, WPTV reported.


The legislation would require all health care providers who prescribe or distribute medication to participate in the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, a statewide database that monitors prescriptions for controlled substances. The legislation includes reforms to combat unlicensed pain management clinics and require continuing education courses on responsibly prescribing opioids, and would also create new opportunities for federal grant funding, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

A highlight of the legislation is a three-day limit on prescribed opioids, unless strict conditions are met that would require a seven-day supply.

The proposed $50 million budget would include funding for substance abuse treatment, counseling and recovery services, and The Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council.

“These proposals will make a major impact on limiting the chance of drug addiction, reducing the ability for dangerous drugs to spread in our communities, giving vulnerable Floridians the support they need, and ensuring our hard working law enforcement officers have the resources to protect Floridians,” Scott said in a statement.

 

Scott declared the opioid epidemic in the state of Florida a public health emergency in May and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports deaths from prescription opioids and heroin have more than quadrupled since 1999.

Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran are both supportive of the legislative. In a statement from the governor’s office, both said they are committed to working to combat opioid abuse and are “dedicated to protecting our families and communities from the national opioid epidemic.”

Scott is “tapped out” as governor… 2018 is his EIGHTH YEAR and can’t run again… so is he not running for any other federal offices or is he setting the stage for his AG Pam Bondi to be able to run on the continuing platform of continuing Gov Scott’s being a hard ass on substance abuse… except the two drugs alcohol and Nicotine 🙁

 

6 Responses

  1. Rick Scott is a idiot and this suggestion is stupid.

  2. LIKE STEVE ALWAYS SAID,,,,they are practicing medicine w/out a liscence,,,which is illegal!!!!ditto,,w/Mr Lawhern,,,,THANK U,,,FOR TAKING THE TIMETO WRITE THEM,,,,,your language /writting is much more professional then mine,,,,,,thank u Mr.Lawhern,,,maryw

  3. I filed the following comment with the office of the governor of Florida:

    I write as a subject matter expert on chronic pain and public policy concerning opioid analgesics.

    I have read in US News and World Report of your new proposal for a three-day limit on prescribed opioids in your state. I wish to suggest that this action is both illegal and grossly unfounded. The so-called opiod crisis wasn’t created by opioid prescriptions made to legitimate pain patients. It is a crisis of drug theft and diversion aided by aggressive marketing of street drugs to adolescents. 90% of all addicts begin abusing drugs and alcohol in their teens — long before the great majority will ever see a physician for pain of sufficient severity to warrant the use of opioid analgesics.

    You won’t “solve” any part of this crisis by driving pain patients into agony and disability with arbitrary and capricious restrictions on prescriptions. You’ll only make matters worse by driving more physicians out of practice and more pain patients to suicide.

    http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

  4. What is needed is a spokesperson(s) to represent the chronic pain community.
    Nationwide awareness/resistance to this federal/state governmental ‘hoax’ must be organized to mount a ‘pushback’.
    The ‘epidemic’ is political not statistical.
    I’m a nobody living with 19 years of chronic pain issues.
    We need help.

  5. Saddens me about Gov Brown. CVS well I knew they want to be doctors and not pharmacist. I believe they think the individuals with pain are so drugged up they won’t complain right away. Something needs to be done.

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