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Limits Sought On Initial Painkiller Prescriptions
April 7, 2017
Amid a debate about putting restrictions on physicians, the House has approved a bill that would place a five-day limit on initial prescriptions for pain medication.
House members voted 93-22 on Wednesday to pass the bill (HB 557), sponsored by Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami. The bill, which also includes changes related to the state’s prescription-drug monitoring program, would limit initial prescriptions of opiods to five-day supplies.
But it drew debate from Rep. Julio Gonzalez, a Venice Republican who is an orthopedic surgeon. Gonzalez said he opposes the bill because it is “offensive to being a physician.”
He said the bill would regulate physicians who are acting in good faith and keep them from providing care that patients need.
But supporter Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, called the opposition “misguided” because of widespread problems with opioid overdoses. Duran said physicians would be able to write lengthier prescriptions after the initial five-day supplies.
Comments
9 Responses to “Limits Sought On Initial Painkiller Prescriptions”
I feel extremely sorry for those who are in pain, it’s a terrible way to have to live or die.
However, we have a pain pill addiction epidemic on our hands. I don’t know of one family without an addict connected to it. Within two weeks of taking pain killers the brain begins to shut down its own endorphins….and thus we create an addict. What was created in just two weeks can take years to overcome.
Black market pills are now sold in almost any neighborhood and our youth have become zombies.
I don’t know the answer or solution to this problem. But one thing I do know…..Legislation can’t fix it.
My heart goes out to the suffering
This is insane. Having a mother with cancer who passed, I seen the need for painkillers. I now have a friend who has cancer and must go to Gulf Coast Pain Specialists (Pain Management) where even they are scared to death to write prescriptions for strong pain killers that work for someone even a layman can see desperately needs it. All because of the media, legislators, DEA, and big pharmacies like CVS and Walgreen’s. Why even make a drug if physicians won’t prescribe it ? What more besides painful cancer must one have ? Thoroughly ridiculous.
MUST BE NICE TO LIVE IN A PAIN FREE WORLD
A friend of mine had out-patient surgery and came in with 2 bags of samples with a prescription in each bag of pain killers. The Dr asked him to try both so he would have an opinion of which was better. I laughed an said he was a good Joe to be the guinea pig! He didn’t take either. Then the Dr was upset that he didn’t have either script filled. He was never in pain..
I wish there were a medication I could take to relieve my pain from politicians
HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once more the powers that be are introducing more legislation to take away our rights to o to our doctor and receive a prescriptioion to help us with our pain. For many of us this medication helps us to deal with the pain that we live with on a daily basis. Thiso do it who try t legislation is a slap in the face of us the right way. It is only hurting the ones that try to do it right. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t take pain meds on a regular basis, but I do know that they can bring much needed relief when prescribed appropriately.
I object to politicians doing the jobs of the doctors. If a doctor is proven “bad”, then take away his or her right to prescribe these drugs. If not, then let doctors do their jobs and hold patients accountable for misuse of prescription drugs – whether it’s selling them, or taking them inappropriately. We all know that going back after the initial five days will cost more money in the long run since a new prescription has to be filled, not to mention the time and aggravation involved. Leave it alone!!
This is stupid as hell so I’m suppose to go to the Dr every 5 days …they already changed it from every 3 months to every month…who exactly pays for all of these visits
The biggest drug dealer is big pharma.. That’s a fact..