§ 32-3248 — Health professionals; controlled substances; initial prescriptions; limits; exceptions; definition

A. A health professional who is authorized under this title to prescribe controlled substances shall limit the initial prescription for a patient for a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid to not more than a five-day supply, except that an initial prescription for a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid following a surgical procedure is limited to not more than a fourteen-day supply.

B. Subsection A of this section does not apply to initial prescriptions if the patient:

1. Has an active oncology diagnosis.

2. Has a traumatic injury, not including a surgical procedure.

3. Is receiving hospice care.

4. Is receiving end-of-life care.

5. Is receiving palliative care.

6. Is receiving skilled nursing facility care.

7. Is receiving treatment for burns.

8. Is receiving medication-assisted treatment for a substance use disorder.

9. Is an infant who is being weaned off opioids at the time of hospital discharge.

C. If a health professional's prescribing authority under the relevant chapter of this title for schedule II controlled substances is more restrictive than the limit specified in subsection A of this section, the health professional's prescribing authority under the relevant chapter of this title applies.

D. An initial prescription for a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid that is written for more than a five-day supply is deemed to meet the requirements of an exemption under this section when the initial prescription is presented to the dispenser. A pharmacist is not required to verify with the prescriber whether the initial prescription complies with this section.

E. For the purposes of this section, "initial prescription" means a prescription for a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid that has not covered any portion of the past sixty days before the date the pharmacy dispenses the current prescription as evidenced by the controlled substances prescription monitoring program's central database tracking system.