Public Act 18-166 prohibits prescribing practitioners from prescribing, dispensing or administering schedule II to IV controlled substances to themselves or immediate family members. An immediate family member is defined as a spouse; parent; child; sibling; parent-in-law; son or daughter-in-law; brother or sister-in-law; step-parent, child or sibling; or other relative residing with the prescriber.
In an emergency, the bill allows prescribers to prescribe, dispense, or administer up to a 72-hour supply of a schedule II to IV controlled substance to themselves or immediate family members, but only if there is no other qualified prescriber available. If prescribing, dispensing or administering to a family member, the prescriber must (1) perform an assessment for the patient’s care and treatment; (2) medically evaluate the patient’s need for the controlled substance; and (3) document the emergency, assessment and patient’s need in the normal course of his or her business. (Effective as of July 1, 2018)
Public Act 17-131 requires various changes to prevent and treat opioid drug abuse. Several of these items can impact dental practices that write prescriptions for opioids, including:
- Requires prescribing practitioners to electronically transmit the controlled substance prescription to a pharmacy (effective January 1, 2018);
- To apply for a waiver, a provider must contact the CT Department of Consumer Protection Drug Control Division directly. They can be reached at (860) 713-6065 or DCP.DrugControl@ct.gov
- Requires practitioners, when prescribing opioids, to discuss with all patients, rather than only minors, the risks associated with opioid drug use;
- Anyone who does not wish to be issued a prescription for an opioid drug may file a “voluntary non-opioid directive” form with a prescribing practitioner. Upon reviewing the form, the prescribing practitioner must document it in the patient’s medical record;
- A prescribing practitioner shall not issue a prescription of an opioid drug to a minor for more than a five-day supply of such drug; and
- By October 1, 2017, the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC) is required to develop a one-page fact sheet on opioid drugs. The ADPC must make the fact sheet available on the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services website. Health care providers are encouraged to disseminate the fact sheet to anyone they provide an opioid drug prescription to.
During the November 2017 CSDA Continuing Education Course, Rodrick Marriott, Director of the Drug Control Division of the State of CT Department of Consumer Protection, spoke to Connecticut Dentists. During the talk Mr. Marriott clarified the new opioid legislation that recently passed, including the new regulation that requires prescribing practitioners to electronically transmit controlled substance prescriptions to a pharmacy (effective January 1, 2018). The video is below for your reference: