As opioid overdoses continue to hit the headlines, states increasingly are looking for ways to curb drug abuse—but these approaches by non-medical professionals can mean both positive results and harmful effects for patients. Such is the case with legislation under consideration in Ohio.
One bill in the Ohio state legislature is what the AMA has called “a prime example of a piece of legislation whose onerous provisions may be potentially destructive to the patient-physician relationship.” While the intention of House Bill 332—to weed out drug abuse and misuse—is an essential public health goal, the bill attempts to prescribe medical standards and practices that could expose patients to serious consequences.
For instance, the bill would require referral to a pain medicine specialist before a patient can receive an opioid prescription for chronic, intractable pain and whenever a patient requests a higher dosage. Such provisions do not take into account patients who require a higher dose after being prescribed a low initial dose as part of a risk evaluation and management strategy. Neither does the bill take into account the scant number of pain medicine specialists in the state.
Similarly, the legislation carves out an exception for cancer patients but could direct affect patients in remission who still suffer from pain. The bill also fails to cover hospice and palliative care patients under the exception.
“There is much that our elected officials can do to help support effective policies and solutions to curb the nation’s prescription drug abuse and diversion epidemic, but one-size-fits-all blunt legislative mandates will only serve to hamper effective pain management,” the AMA wrote in a recent letter opposing the bill.
At the same time, Ohio has joined the growing number of states seeking to make it easier for health care professionals to prescribe, dispense and distribute naloxone, a receptor antagonist that potentially can prevent opioid overdose deaths. Maine and Wisconsin recently introduced similar bills, and 16 other states plus the District of Columbia have adopted naloxone laws.
More than 20 states are considering opioid-related legislation so far this year, and 129 bills currently are on the table.
Visit the AMA’s Combating prescription drug abuse and diversion Web page to learn more about how the AMA is collaborating with state medical associations around state opioid legislation and working with federal agencies and lawmakers to implement policies that can help stop drug abuse and overdose while protecting access to care for patients who need it.
Physicians also can access the AMA’s comprehensive pain management education program. Comprised of 12 modules, this online program addresses numerous clinically important aspects of pain management, from assessment to structuring therapy and managing risks.
Physicians can complete the entire program, or select modules that address the specific needs of their practice and patients. This continuing medical education activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
