It would put a requirement on doctors who prescribe opioids to heir patients.
Frederick,Md (KM). Legislation that would deal with the opioid crisis has been introduced by Frederick County Delegate Karen Lewis Young. The bill would require physicians who prescribe an opioid to have a conversation with their patients about the risks of addiction, and whether non-opioid medications are available. “It’s not enough to say read the instructions on the bottle or inside the box,” says Young.
“It doesn’t dictate what the conversation is. But it does dictate that the prescribing health care provider have a conversation sharing some concerns that we all know need to be addressed way before the patient starts taking the drugs,” she says.
Young says if her bill passes, it will lead to a safer and more cautious use of opioid prescriptions. “No single thing is going to eradicate this terrible problem we have. But if we put many pieces together, I think that we can certainly minimize it. And we know that of all the heroin users, 85% got started by taking prescription opioids,”: she says.
Delegate Young says this legislation is recommended by the National Opioid Commission in its interim report. New Jersey and Rhode Island have similar laws, she says.
By Kevin McManus