Bill > A5051

Introduced Session

This bill codifies into statute certain regulatory provisions regarding controlled dangerous substances and prescription monitoring. Specifically, the bill provides that a physician is to: 1) require a patient who is prescribed a controlled dangerous substance for chronic pain management to undergo random urine screens at least once every 12 months and conduct baseline urine drug testing for new patients; 2) advise the patient, or the patient's parent or guardian if the patient is under 18 years of age and is not an emancipated minor, of the availability of an opioid antidote; and 3) refer the patient to a pain management or addiction specialist for independent evaluation or treatment in order to achieve treatment objectives, if those objectives are not being met. The bill amends the definition of "chronic pain," consistent with existing regulations, to mean pain that persists for three or more consecutive months, and which continues, either continuously or episodically, after reasonable medical efforts have been made to relieve the pain or its cause. The bill also codifies the regulatory provision that permits a physician to prescribe a 90 day supply of an implantable infusion pump that is utilized to achieve pain management for patients suffering from cancer, intractable pain, or terminal illness.

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Carol Murphy (D)*,  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee (on 02/14/2019)