Ohio Enacts Limits on Opioid Prescriptions

Starting August 31, 2017, Ohio joins other states that have enacted limits when prescribing opioids for acute pain. Ohio’s new law will allow a seven-day supply of opioids for adults and five days for minors after parental consent. The total morphine equivalent dose (MED) for the prescription cannot exceed thirty MED daily. If a prescriber determines a patient requires more than the law allows, they must provide a specific reason and document in the patient’s chart. These new regulations do not apply for the treatment of chronic pain and only apply to the first prescription for an acute pain episode.

The new regulations also include new requirements for controlled prescriptions. Prescribers will be required to include the first four characters of a diagnosis code on all opioid prescriptions and a days’ supply on all controls, including Gabapentin, starting December 29, 2017. These rulings will be required on all controlled substances starting June 1, 2018.