An Act To Extend the Limitation on Prescribing Opioids for Certain Individuals with Chronic Pain
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §2210, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §13, is amended to read:
C. On or after January 1, 2017, within a 30-day period, more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain or, within a 6-month period, more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or who is 63 years of age or older. "Chronic pain" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7246, subsection 1-C; or
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §2600-C, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §17, is amended to read:
C. On or after January 1, 2017, within a 30-day period, more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain or, within a 6-month period, more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or who is 63 years of age or older. For purposes of this paragraph, "chronic pain" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7246, subsection 1-C; or
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §3300-F, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §20, is amended to read:
C. On or after January 1, 2017, within a 30-day period, more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain or, within a 6-month period, more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or who is 63 years of age or older. "Chronic pain" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7246, subsection 1-C; or
Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §3657, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §23, is amended to read:
C. On or after January 1, 2017, within a 30-day period, more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain or, within a 6-month period, more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or who is 63 years of age or older. "Chronic pain" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7246, subsection 1-C; or
Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §18308, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §32, is amended to read:
C. On or after January 1, 2017, within a 30-day period, more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain or, within a 6-month period, more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or who is 63 years of age or older. For purposes of this paragraph, "chronic pain" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7246, subsection 1-C; or
SUMMARY
Current law prohibits an individual licensed to prescribe opioid medication from prescribing more than a 30-day supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain. This bill allows an individual licensed to prescribe opioid medication to prescribe no more than a 6-month supply of an opioid medication to a patient under treatment for chronic pain who has been prescribed medication for chronic pain continually for at least 5 years or is 63 years of age or older.