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CHEYENNE – State lawmakers will see a bill in 2019 that could limit the way doctors and other health care providers prescribe opioid-based drugs.
Members of the Wyoming Legislative Assembly, Health and Social Services Joint Committee voted last week in Casper to sponsor a bill setting a strict limit on the number of opioid pills that can be received by a new patient. The committee also paused in a bill that required medical service providers to check the state drug database before prescribing drugs in Schedule II, III, IV or V.
Opioids include illicit drugs such as heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine.
If the bill limits the prescription of opioids, doctors can only prescribe a supply of up to 14 days for a period of 14 days. The limit would only apply to patients who have not received any opioid prescription within the last 45 days. The proposed wording would allow for possible exceptions to the limit for chronic pain, cancer treatment, palliative care or other clinically appropriate exceptions.
Committee Co-Chair, Representative Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, said he expected the Boundaries Bill to have a good chance of being adopted at next year's General Session. .
"I think (this bill) will generate discussions," said Barlow. "I think it's going to have some traction and be able to go from the front."
Barlow said the bill limiting opioid prescriptions could help prevent patients from becoming addicted. The purpose was to prevent the abuse of excess drugs or to divert them for unauthorized purposes.
Groups such as the Colorado Consortium for the Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse have called for changes in the way opioids are prescribed, including limiting the number of pills initially given to patients. Before the issue of opioid addiction was brought to the attention of the country, doctors prescribed a surplus of pills to treat a problem as simple as extracting a wisdom tooth. Excess pills have been cited as a factor contributing to the rise of opioid dependence.
The Labor Committee has decided to suspend the vote on a draft law on the education and administration of controlled substances. Instead, they proposed it at the 19-20 November committee meeting in Cheyenne.
This bill would require health care providers and pharmacists to receive ongoing training on opioids. Physicians and other health professionals should also check the state drug database before prescribing opioids.
Barlow stated that the committee had decided to postpone any decision on this bill until it had the opportunity to give more points of view to the public. At last Friday's hearing, Barlow said the committee heard from doctors and other small business representatives about the burden on their small staff to check the database.
"In some of these practices, they knew their patients personally. Sometimes they have known families for generations, "said Barlow. "The committee felt that we needed more time to review our options (for the bill)."
The committee rejected a bill dealing with the legal consequences of opioid abuse when it concerned a child. Barlow stated that the committee felt that the bill should be reviewed by the Judiciary Committee and not within the jurisdiction of the Labor Committee.
All bills reviewed last Friday were referred to the committee by the Joint Task Force on Opioid Dependence. The Temporary Working Group was formed during this year's legislative session and is expected to end in October 2019.
For more news from the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, go online at https://www.wyomingnews.com/.
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