BILL NUMBER:  S6256

 TITLE OF BILL :  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 from a seven-day supply to a three-day
supply

 PURPOSE :

This bill would limit the number of schedule II, III or IV controlled
substance pain pills initially prescribed to someone suffering from
acute pain. This serves two important purposes: it encourages patients
whose acute pain lasts longer than initially expected to follow-up
with a doctor; and it lessens the number of pills left in medicine
cabinets and available for diversion.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one of the bill amends public health law § 3331(5)(b) to limit
the initial prescriptions of any schedule II, III or IV controlled
substance for acute pain to a 3 day supply. 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 end-of-life care.

Section two provides an immediate effective date.
              

 JUSTIFICATION :

Prescription drug abuse is a growing crisis in both New York State and
the country at large. In this State, there has been armed violence,
death by overdose and suicide, and increasing rates of addiction.

In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is
more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pain
medication. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in
the U.S., with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses in 2015. Of these 20,101
overdose deaths were related to prescription pain relievers, and
12,990 overdose deaths were related to heroin.

Additionally, four out of five heroin users indicated that their
addition started with legally prescribed opioids, which, once the
prescription expired, left them driven to find street drugs.  These
drugs are unregulated and extremely inconsistent in dosages, which
plays a factor in overdoses.

In 2016, the NYS legislature and the Governor approved a package of
bills to address the opioid/heroin crisis, including the
implementation of a 7-day supply of opioids for acute pain. Recently,
the Department of Health circulated guidance to health care
practitioners that highlighted newly released CDC guidelines for
prescribing opioids in patients with chronic pain, and recommends an
initial duration of therapy of 3 days or less for acute pain. A recent
report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the main CDC
publication for public health information, indicates that dependency
on opioids can occur within 3 days of continued use.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.