Amendment #37 to H3944

Opioid prescriptions for children

Ms. DiZoglio of Methuen moves to amend the bill by striking out section 15 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

SECTION 15. Said chapter 94C is hereby amended by inserting after section 19C the following section:-

Section 19D. (a) When issuing a prescription for an opiate to an adult patient for the first time, a practitioner shall not issue a prescription for more than a 5-day supply. A practitioner shall not issue an opiate prescription to a minor for more than a 5-day supply at any time and shall discuss with the parent or guardian the risks associated with opiate use.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if in the professional medical judgment of a practitioner more than a 5-day supply of an opiate is required to stabilize the patient’s emergency medical condition, or the opiate is prescribed for chronic pain management, pain associated with a cancer diagnoses or for palliative care, then the practitioner may issue a prescription for the quantity needed to stabilize the patient’s condition. The condition triggering prescription of an opiate for more than a 5-day supply shall be documented in the patient’s medical record and the practitioner shall indicate that a non-opiate alternative was not appropriate to address the emergency medical condition.