What's happening
This bill limits initial opioid prescriptions to seven days for those 20 or older and three days for those 19 or younger.
Why it matters
Aims to reduce the risk of opioid dependence and misuse. by significantly restricting the quantity of opioids initially prescribed, especially for younger patients, which is a group particularly vulnerable to addiction.
Changes prescriber behavior and patient expectations. by making short-term opioid prescribing the default, potentially encouraging providers and patients to consider non-opioid pain management strategies for acute pain.
Creates a legal distinction based on patient age. , signaling a recognition of differing risks and vulnerabilities between adolescents, young adults, and older adults in opioid prescribing policy.
May affect access for patients with legitimate acute pain needs. , requiring additional follow-up visits or communications for continued pain management if the initial prescription proves insufficient, impacting both patients and healthcare providers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Limit Opioid Prescriptions for Pain
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Print number 2053a
- Amend (t) and recommit to health
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Limit Opioid Prescriptions for Pain
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor John T. McDonald III
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2053--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 22, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to limiting the initial prescription of a controlled substance for the alleviation of acute pain to a seven-day supply for users twenty years of age or older and to a three-day supply for users nineteen years of age or younger
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 3331 of the public health law, as added by section 1 of part C of chapter 71 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, a practitioner, within the scope of his or her professional opinion or discretion, may not prescribe more than a seven-day supply of any schedule II, III, or IV opioid to an ultimate user who is twenty years of age or older, or more than a three-day supply of any schedule II, III, or IV opioid to an ultimate user who is nineteen years of age or younger upon the initial consultation or treatment of such user for acute pain. Upon any subsequent consultations for the same pain, the practitioner may issue, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subdivision, any appropriate renewal, refill, or new prescription for the opioid or any other drug.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07450-03-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Purpose
This bill would limit the number of schedule II, HI, or IV controlled substance pain pills initially prescribed to someone suffering from acute pain who are nineteen years of age and younger. This serves two important purposes: (1) it encourages patients whose acute pain lasts longer than initially expected to follow up with a doctor, and (2) it lessens the number of pills left In medicine cabinets and available for diversion.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill adds Public Health Law Sec. 3331(5)(b) and (c). Subsection (b) permits authorized practitioners, within the scope of their professional opinion or discretion, to dispense three days of any schedule II, III, or IV controlled substance to a patient suffering from acute pain to youth who are 19 year of age or younger. Subsection (c) provides a definition of acute pain. The term encompasses accidental and intentional pain lasting only a short or finite period of time. The subsection expressly excludes chronic pain, cancer pain, and hospice or other endof-life care.
Section 2 provides that the act shall take effect immediately
Justification
Prescription drug abuse is a growing crisis in both New York State and the country at large. This crisis has arrived partially due to a previ- ously casual approach to prescribing and sharing of prescription medica- tions.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.