| Chapter 190 |
| 2023 -- H 6490 Enacted 06/23/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT |
Introduced By: Representatives DeSimone, McGaw, Cardillo, Craven, Caldwell, and Sanchez |
| Date Introduced: June 07, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 21-28-3.20.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-28 entitled "Uniform |
| Controlled Substances Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 21-28-3.20.1. Authority of practitioner to prescribe, administer, and dispense — |
| Cancer, palliative care and chronic intractable pain. |
| (a) A practitioner, in good faith and in the course of his or her professional practice |
| managing pain associated with a cancer diagnosis, palliative or nursing home care, intractable or |
| chronic intractable pain as provided in § 5-37.4-2, or other condition allowed by department of |
| health regulations pursuant to the exception in § 21-28-3.20(d), may prescribe, administer, and |
| dispense controlled substances without regard to the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids |
| for Chronic Pain CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain--United States, |
| 2022. |
| (b) The director of health may promulgate those rules and regulations necessary to |
| effectuate the provisions of this section and ensure that rules governing pain management |
| associated with a cancer diagnosis, palliative or nursing home care, intractable or chronic |
| intractable pain as provided in § 5-37.4-2, or other condition allowed by department of health |
| regulations pursuant to the exception created in § 21-28-3.20(d), shall: |
| (1) Take into consideration the individualized needs of patients covered by this section; |
| and |
| (2) Make provisions for practitioners, acting in good faith, and in the course of their |
| profession, and managing pain associated with their patients’ illness to use their best judgment |
| notwithstanding any statute, rule, or regulation to the contrary. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC003161 |
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