Opioids: safe prescribing policy.

Existing law, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies opioids as Schedule II controlled substances and places restrictions on the prescription of those drugs, including prohibiting refills and specifying the requirements of a prescription for these drugs. Violation of these provisions and the Uniform Controlled Substances Act is a misdemeanor. This bill would require, by July 1, 2019, every health care practitioner, with the exception of veterinarians, who prescribes, administers, or furnishes opioids classified as Schedule II and Schedule III to adopt, review, and periodically update a safe opioid prescribing policy, as specified. The bill would prohibit the safe opioid prescribing policy from placing a limitation on the prescription, ordering, administration, or furnishing of opioids to patients with prescribed conditions. The bill would require a health care practitioner who determines, based on his or her professional judgment, that the safe prescribing policy is not appropriate for a specific patient's treatment, to provide adequate documentation in the patient's record to support the treatment decision. The bill would make the failure to establish or adopt a safe opioid prescribing policy to be referred to the appropriate state professional licensing board for administrative sanctions. Because violation of these provisions is also a crime, the bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health, utilizing data from the CURES database, to submit a report detailing progress toward the stated goals of declining opioid prescriptions, as specified. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.