SB 107-18: Pain Patients' Right To Know Act (Passed)

[WD]

AN ACT
To require that all persons prescribed opiates sign a form acknowledging risks

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Pain Patients' Right To Know Act.

Section 2. Patient acknowledgement of risk for prescription opioids

1. Prior to legally receiving prescriptions of oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, or methadone, all patients must be required to sign a form acknowledging that their doctor has informed them of the following:

i. Prescription opioids are linked to addiction and can be as harmful as heroin or other illegal street drugs when misused.

ii. 4 out of 5 people who use heroin began by misusing prescription pain medications.

iii. Non-supervised medications can be easily stolen or obtained by young people. 1 in 4 teens report they've misused or abused a prescription drug at least once, with 2 out of 3 teens abusing prescription pain medications say they get them from family or friends.

Source of information: Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Sponsor: Scott

The President is invited to advocate.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Hell is a bit chillier today as I actually wrote a bill inspired by an idea from DeadPrez. This is my administration's proposed alternative opioid/addiction prevention policy to the one proposed by Senator Spark, which recently died in the Senate. There are good ways to approach the addiction crisis. There are also many bad ones.

Subjecting our nation's well-respected doctors to further encroachment by the DEA, and thereby discouraging them from working to provide the best possible, and medically appropriate, care to their patients, is the wrong way to approach this crisis. Pain patients, many of whom suffer with lifelong conditions requiring these medications, always get the blunt end of the deal when government over-restricts these ultimately necessary treatments.

I don't believe we need to choose between tighter control of addictive substances and medical freedom. I believe that education can play a prominent role in reducing addiction and overdose numbers, and promoting both responsible use and storage.

This bill is not intended to be the silver bullet to defeating the opioid epidemic, but it will be a step in the right direction, and the availability of this information will combat addiction by empowering and educating patients.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A big part of the problem, especially in the 90s and 2000s was the boom in prescriptions of pain medication without the kind of information being widely disseminated regarding the dangers. People long discounted the dangers of prescription pain medication because of the imagery of it coming from a doctor as opposed to a dealer on the street corner. "It comes from a doctor, it has to be safe".

[Schiff for Senate]

I don't think there's a problem with this bill. Would be open to supporting it, but I'd love to here arguments from both sides on this before taking a stance one way or another.

[DabbingSanta]

I do not see any reason to oppose this bill. 

[Joseph Cao]

This has my full support.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Requesting a final vote.

[WD]

Opening a final vote in 24 hours

[WD]

A final vote is now open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain

[West_Midlander]

Aye

[Continential]

Aye

[If my soul was made of stone]

AYE

[Joseph Cao]

Aye.

That said, this vote needs to be extended (and I've mentioned before about holding votes to coincide with the election period).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Aye

[Kuumo]

Aye

[Saint Milei]

"all patients must be required to sign a form acknowledging that their doctor has informed them of the following:
"

Is there a law that forces doctors to inform them?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

"all patients must be required to sign a form acknowledging that their doctor has informed them of the following:
"

Is there a law that forces doctors to inform them?

Presumably the risks would either be in writing, explained, or both, the same way acknowledgment of risk is necessary for certain medical procedures.

[Dr. MB]

Nay

I appreciate the sentiment but it is quite vague and I'm a little wary of the burden this could place on doctors and open up the door for potential lawsuits.

[Saint Milei]

Nay

I appreciate the sentiment but it is quite vague and I'm a little wary of the burden this could place on doctors and open up the door for potential lawsuits.

I agree. Thinks like this need to be more specific. We shouldn't have requested a final vote so fast. Nay as well. If someone proposes this again, I'm sure we can add stuff to make this less vague.

[DabbingSanta]

Aye

[WD]

Aye

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Nay

I appreciate the sentiment but it is quite vague and I'm a little wary of the burden this could place on doctors and open up the door for potential lawsuits.

I concur with Dr. MB & Dead Prez on this matter. I will also vote Nay. I think this bill would've been improved by more debate. Which I am also guilty of not having provided. The intention is pure but the outcomes might not be what was intended.

[S019]

AYE

[Schiff for Senate]

Aye

[OBD]

Aye