Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health is announcing a new campaign aimed at informing the public about the Controlled Substances Bill (CS/CS/HB 21) that took effect in Florida on July 1, 2018. The “Take Control” campaign includes a website with important information and a FAQ to answer any questions the public or health care providers might have about how the new law affects their prescriptions.
“The Controlled Substances Bill was passed to address the opioid crisis by limiting the risk of overprescribing for acute pain, and it will not impact patients who have established a treatment plan with their doctor that successfully manages their chronic debilitating pain,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary Dr. Celeste Philip. “The department is committed to working with patients and the health care community to clear up any possible confusion about the new law to ensure that patients are able to obtain and fill necessary prescriptions for pain medication.”
The law addresses opioid abuse by establishing prescribing limits for acute pain, requiring continuing education on controlled substance prescribing, expanding required use of Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and more. Under the new law, prescriptions for an opioid listed as a Schedule II controlled substance to treat acute pain are limited to a 3-day supply, and under certain circumstances up to a 7-day supply. However, these prescription limitations to do not apply to prescriptions to treat nonacute pain or chronic nonmalignant pain.
The Take Control website incorporates a user-friendly design and provides specific information for those affected by the law with links to helpful resources, such as a bill information page, FAQs, and informational webinar.
To learn more about how to Take Control of Controlled Substances and for information about how the Controlled Substances Bill affects you, please visit http://www.flhealthsource.gov/FloridaTakeControl/.
The department encourages patients to discuss all options with their treating physician, so they may work together to pursue a course of treatment which manages their pain, anxiety and provides quality of life.
