Michigan providers will now be required to check the state’s prescription database before they prescribe painkillers and powerful medications, under legislation signed into law by Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley.

The legislation, signed into law on Dec. 27, will also put a limit on the number of opioids prescribed to patients for acute pain and establish a “bonafide physician-patient relationship before prescribing controlled substances.” Further, the law specifies specific penalties for providers who fail to meet these requirements.

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The bill was revealed in March by a bipartisan group of legislators as part of recommendations from the state’s Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force. The requirements for providers to check the Michigan Automated Prescription System before prescribing opioids go into effect in June.

Education requirements are also part of the reform. Providers must provide patients with substance use treatment services for patients who’ve experienced and overdose. And medical students must be taught the dangers of prescription drug abuse and addiction.

“The addiction epidemic is now claiming more lives than car accidents, and we’re taking an all-hands-on-deck approach in Michigan to combat it and prevent future addiction,” Calley said in a statement. “This legislation will help provide better education on the dangers of addiction before pills are ever dispensed and ensures that a patient’s drug history is known before these highly addictive medications are prescribed. Prevention and earlier detection of addiction will save lives.”

Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com