Senate Bill (SB) 119, a bill that originally restricted primary care physicians from prescribing opioids unless they also offer addiction treatment in their practice, has been completely re-worked.
The substitute version of SB 119 now would require physicians to evaluate patients for signs of drug abuse or addiction before prescribing for acute pain (in accordance to rules to be formulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio); would require physicians to discuss the benefits and issues with drug addiction treatment drugs; and would allow pharmacists to dispense naltrexone without a script.
The bill is assigned to the Senate Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee. The committee chair has indicated that there are additional amendments which have not yet been released.
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians will continue to provide information via the Weekly Family Medicine Update on this bill.