new maine opiate rx laws

[lawyerup (OP)]

http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/03/02/lepage-administration-proposes-new-rules-for-prescribing-opiods-as-way-to-combat-heroin-crisis/

The LePage administration on Wednesday introduced a bill that would create new restrictions for prescribing opioids to control pain, as part of the state’s effort to combat the heroin epidemic.

About 75 percent of new heroin users first become addicted to prescription opioids, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Maine is facing a heroin crisis, and in recent years has experienced a surge in overdose deaths and the number of people seeking treatment for opioid addiction.

Under the new restrictions, doctors would be required to check the Prescription Monitoring Program before prescribing opioids. It’s currently a voluntary program, but the program is a way for doctors to safeguard against patients “doctor shopping” for pain pills.

The new rules would also limit opioid prescriptions for chronic pain to 15 days, and acute pain to three days.

Also, the restrictions would limit opioid prescriptions to 100 morphine milligram equivalents per day. Doctors would be required to attend training in opioid prescribing before being permitted to prescribe opioids.

“We are facing a heroin crisis that was created in large part due to the unchecked flood of prescription painkillers into our communities,” said Gov. Paul LePage in a statement. “It’s time for some common-sense limits on prescribing these dangerous and highly addictive pills. With limits in place today, we can see a reduction in heroin addiction tomorrow.”

“If these measures had only been in place 10 years ago, I doubt we would have seen a heroin abuse crisis of today’s magnitude,” said Dr. Christopher Pezzullo, chief health officer for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

The state has previously made changes to opioid prescribing for MaineCare patients, and the state has seen opioid prescription rates for MaineCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, plummet over the past few years. If the bill is approved, the new restrictions would affect all doctors in the state.

The Maine Medical Association, which represents doctors, had previously told the Press Herald that the group would be willing to accept additional restrictions on opioid prescribing.

This story will be updated."


This is where i live, does this mean id have to go to my doctors every 15 days??? Fuck LePage god this guys fukd.

[Roman Totale]

That is just nuts. I said as much in the Suboxone Nasal Spray thread, but really, fuck this ridiculous New England "opioid epidemic" hysteria, it's the lowest kind of political grandstanding. The only consequences are more human misery for some and more trips down to Lawrence for others.

One thing though: in a small population state like Maine, you can have way more influence on the state government personally if you have the energy, and sometimes just a small group can get the legislature's ear and actually change the laws.

[Tony]

To the OP,

Good post. And great news for the Cartels. Sad day for CPPers..

And the beat goes on.......

Tony, 2016

Don't tread on me.

[Zoops]

Yeah every time they do something like this, it puts more cash in the dealers' pockets. While Governor LePage says, "with limits in place today, we can see a reduction in heroin addiction tomorrow.” Exactly the opposite in fact.

Fucker endorsed Trump too.

And not only that - it's just asinine that they think they can practice medicine from the statehouse.

If I was a physician, I'd be fucking livid with the state government. I bet the pharma companies are pretty mad now too - because that represents a LOT of money lost.

and "100 morphine milligram equivalents per day?" What the fucking fuck?!?! That means you can't have more than 100mg of morphine per day? That's NOTHING! I guarantee pretty much EVERY CPP in the state takes more than 100mg of morphine (or its equivalent) per day.

Shit a normal suboxone prescription would exceed that. Buprenorphine is considered to be a very potent opioid. It's like many fold times more potent than morphine on a mg for mg basis. I think one 8mg strip is more than "100 morphine mg equivalents."

[DreamerOnTheRun]

This makes me intensely angry, we hvea heroin problem, so let's prevent people in pain from getting legit pain meds so they turn to the streets for heroin?  Brilliant, of course he endorsed Trump... What a fucktard.

[Griffin]

Geeze that is some stupid shit! I really hope that gets denied and never spoke of again, they should make a policy that would require the assholes who thought of this shit or thought it was a good idea to have their tongue and hands cut off. Seriously 99% of restrictions you place on a doctor make everything worse not only the quality of care, but every single thing. No asshole politician should tell a doctor how to do anything medical related its fucking stupid, until the asshole is performing surgeries he needs to stfu with everything health related.

100 mg a day? cpp coming in 2x a month? people with acute pain coming in 2x a week? yeah that is exactly what we need in this overpriced, over worked shit system for fucks sake this is like being trapped in a looney bin trying to convince people you are sane. Yeah you can't move at all without lots of medications so now you have to make 2 trips to the doctor and 2 trips to the pharmacy every month now. You just broke a bunch of bones well your going to have goto the doctor and pharmacy 3x a week to get your prescription because we decided to let a bunch of dumb assholes play doctor and politician at the same time. I am against the death penalty but the assholes who brought this up or endorsed it should be charged with being asshats and killed on the spot.

[cpwhyme]

Maniacs.

I feel truly sorry for the pain patients who suffer greater due to this.

The logic used here is pretty backwards, but probably easier and costs less to the govt to pass legislation than to address things like available treatment for addicts. I see this only making things worse and hope more states do not follow this poor example.

[Roman Totale]

As profoundly offensive as this bill is, keep in mind that it is both not the law and extremely likely to ever become adopted as law in anything resembling the proposed form. 

Plenty of Maine state legislators will probably oppose any bill being proposed by LePage at this point, not to mention keeping their middle-aged and older constituency, who vote the most percentage-wise and are most likely to be affected, overall. 

And the other thing big thing is that the doctors are going to hate this law too, and they have well-funded lobbying arms (for better or worse) with a lot of influence over state politics, especially in a small state.

[Sand and Water]

As profoundly offensive as this bill is, keep in mind that it is both not the law and extremely likely to ever become adopted as law in anything resembling the proposed form. 

Plenty of Maine state legislators will probably oppose any bill being proposed by LePage at this point, not to mention keeping their middle-aged and older constituency, who vote the most percentage-wise and are most likely to be affected, overall. 

And the other thing big thing is that the doctors are going to hate this law too, and they have well-funded lobbying arms (for better or worse) with a lot of influence over state politics, especially in a small state.

From your lips to Gods ears... I won't waste anyone time repeating what's been said except to say this is total hysteria baloney. 75%??!  Yeah mmkay.

Also I'm not sure how many, but a LOT of states already *require* PMPs, so I'm really hoping this is just political grandstanding.  Oh, and that he gets a chronic pain condition. Sorry for the rant

[Wildcat]

the fuck?   I would go bezerck with out pain meds............no wonder suicide is high for cpp.