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Industry Group Backs Seven Day Limit On Opiod Prescriptions
September 28, 2017
As Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders start to move forward with plans to address the state’s opioid epidemic, a major pharmaceutical-industry group said Wednesday it would support a seven-day limit on initial prescriptions of pain medications.
Scott said Tuesday he will seek a change in state law that would place a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions, though the prescriptions could be up to seven days under some conditions.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office said the proposal would apply to initial prescriptions of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin. While not limited to Florida, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America announced Wednesday that it would support seven-day limits on initial supplies of “acute pain” opioid prescriptions, with doctors able to deviate in certain circumstances such as when treating cancer-related pain or when providing hospice care.
“We are taking this step because we believe the worsening opioid epidemic demands additional solutions, with new protections for patients,” Stephen J. Ubl, president & CEO of the industry group, said in a prepared statement. “Too often, individuals receive a 30-day supply of opioid medicines for minor treatments or short-term pain. Overprescribing and dispensing can lead to patients taking opioids longer than necessary or to excess pills falling into the wrong hands.”
The proposals announced Tuesday by Scott, including spending $50 million on programs such as drug treatment, are expected to be debated during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.
by The News Service of Florida
Comments
16 Responses to “Industry Group Backs Seven Day Limit On Opiod Prescriptions”
Chronic pain is a reality for millions. I personally have daily chronic migraine that are refractive to treatment. Daily pain medication is a way of life for many who suffer. Dr’s talk about alternative medicines, anti depressants, physical therapy, massage, weight loss. I have personally tried all of these and dozens more over 20 years without any relief. Real pain doesn’t care about these fantasy treatments. They sound great in a periodical or in an interview. However if your head feels like it has a vice grip squeezing on it, these treatments are a mild distraction at best. Whoever supports this is relegating millions of our nation’s weakest to a life of suffering and agony. Black market and illegal sales will skyrocket. Pain related suicides will go up exponentially. Maybe worst of all, those sufferers who are able to work and contribute by taking daily pain medicine will be once again relegated to the sick bed. Anyone that votes to restrict a doctor’s ability to treat a chronic pain patient will have to face the Almighty and answer for the suffering they have caused. Punish the guilty or the innocent? Punish all to stop the abusers.
I suffer from chronic pain from a 40 foot fall I took some years ago. I had 19 broken bones (including my back broken in 3 places), 7 fused vertabra and other issues that have developed over the years (Arthritis, Stenosis,Osteoporosis). Before I went to pain management, I was unable to function in my daily life.
If the gov’t. passes this knee jerk reaction that affects many more honest people than it does dishonest, I don’t know what I will do. It was hard enough to get into pain management, even with all my pins, rods, wires and scars from 5 surgeries. Now they want to take us backwards, not forwards. That’s governemnt for you.
The voters approved medical Marijuana in November, but good luck finding someone to prescribe that in this state. They have been slow-walking it since last year and still do not have any network in place to institute it.
I hope and pray that our legislators think this bill through and come up with another plan to combat the problem of illegal users of these necessary and useful drugs.
@Dee— Hundreds ? That’s the amount that goes through the door between 5-6 a.m. Their open till 11 am.
No matter. This will get pushed by know it alls who have no real concept of normal people’s lives. And the epidemic of drugs will multiply exponentially from what it is now. For those who have been going to primary care getting narcotics for a decade or two for good reason (I know some) look out. You’ll have to be referred to pain management (like me) where you’ll be really treated like a criminal. Urine tests, med counts. Except I was referred because my doctor was scared of the DEA tactics.
I haven’t researched it, but from the little that I have heard, it sounds to me like NEW rx’s will have a limit to keep from having more people become addicted. I think it is more important to make rehab programs county wide that are available to all regardless of income. The cost could be covered by the $15/day hundreds or more pay to go to the methadone clinic.
So every three to seven days you will have to see your doctor. They do not give these prescriptions over the phone, nor do they refill over the phone. While you are the doctor’s office just make weekly appointments for the next six months! So another expense of driving to doctor, doctor visit, going to pharmacy. It is hard to get into the doctor’s office as it is so now they are going to make it even more difficult? What about the people that do not have transportation and someone has to take them? This is absolutely insane!
This is just frightening.I have multiple medical issues of which one is fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Yes I take Percocet as directed and needed. I also use physical therapy, acupressure,aqua therapy, chiropractic care, massage,IV therapy, and several other modalities. My first go to isn’t always Percocet but if I didn’t have it there would be days that I couldn’t get out of bed. Please go after the abusers but let pain doctors do the job they are educated to do. The government shouldn’t be mandating our health care any more than already is.
I am
So this will be more people who are patients managing their pain, driving more often every week. That’s a bad plan.
If they are going to do this, then Pharmacy’s should be delivering these medication instead of placing the burden on the patients, who are on these medication for legitimate pain management, to spend the money on gas 4 times a month, making 4 times the physical effort and interfering with their lives.
I don’t think that punishing patients with pain problems is the right control. It’s definitely not fair to the patient to place more of a burden on their already challenged life.
I have had rehumetoid arthritis 35 yrs. It affects your whole body. All my joints are affected. My back has stenosis. I have taken opoidsfor many years. Absolutely no problem being addicted. My Dr. Knows what he is doing. I take my medicine and patch as prescribed. This is a painful disease!!! Surely other chronic diseases other than cancer should. Have access to pain relief. Don’t go from one extreme to another.
I watched the opioid commission speak for 2 hours yesterday from Washington and from what was discussed seem to imply this will become National. Now the way it was phrased yesterday is the 7 day cap would be for non pain management settings i.e. ER outpatient and short term use that do not include Chronic Pain. Now there was a lot of talk of allowing the FDA to speed up releases of non or less addictive medications. We are after all the country using the most opiates in the world compared to others that rely mostly on alternative treatments. Before the late 90s and before this epidemic opiates were vastly more regulated and a last resort for most doctors. Thank drug lobbyists and companies for this crisis. They convinced the health inspector general at the time to loosen opiate regulations and basically said on live tv at the time that opiates and painkillers were not addictive.
Omg, this ridiculous!!
I have fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, herniated disc, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and nerve damage pain. I take my medication as perscribed. I see my pain doctor every 2months. I take my drug test to prove I’m taking my meds, they count my meds. I’ve never abused anything. This is just more ways for the government to control out every move. And it’s a Slap to the Doctors face ,telling them they don’t know what they are doing.
I have a torn rotator cuff and a bulging disc in my neck. Thanks to this legislation, all I can get for the pain is ibuprofen. Maybe the state logo should be changed to “Constant Pain State”. Thanks a lot Gov. Scott.
I don’t agree with Rick Scott. If they do pass this, how will this work with our insurance, I realize the problem but it’s no kinda Crazy for people that have to have pain control, that are in pain management. If anyone thinks this want pass please comment
Just one more example of a cure being worse than the disease. Cancer patients who are in horrible pain are going to need caretakers going every three days to get pain pills? Splendid government speak. oh, right….they will make an exception. Where do you draw the line. A person with a real back injury is going to be treated like a criminal while treating their pain.
However, do not worry because as prescription pain killer supply diminish, people will simply turn to heroin where every illegal transaction in the same helps the Taliban and hurts America. Prohibition has failed, yet we keep compounding the problems by not getting to the core issues of addiction and dealing with the same.
ease the pain. Clearly not all doctors are over-prescribing. Go after the bad apples. Don’t make the lives of chronic pain sufferers more difficult.
Are you seriously saying that doctors can’t tell what will be short-term pain? BS! One time I had an infection in my foot. The doctor gave me a pain scrip. for just a few days, knowing once the antibiotics kicked in it would