Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

This bill requires a practitioner to discuss with a patient or the patient's parent or guardian where appropriate, prior to issuing the initial prescription of a Schedule II controlled, dangerous substance or other opioid pain reliever that is a prescription drug in a course of treatment for acute or chronic pain and prior to issuing the third prescription of the course of treatment, the risks associated with the drug being prescribed, including, but not limited to: (1) The risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid drugs and the dangers of taking opioid drugs with alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other central nervous system depressants; (2) The reasons why the prescription is necessary; (3) Alternative treatments that may be available; and (4) Risks associated with the use of the drugs being prescribed, specifically that opioids are highly addictive, even when taken as prescribed; that there is a risk of developing a physical or psychological dependence on the controlled dangerous substance; and that the risks of taking more opioids than prescribed, or mixing sedatives, benzodiazepines, or alcohol with opioids, can result in fatal respiratory depression. This bill also requires the practitioner to include a note in the patient's medical record that the patient or the patient's parent or guardian, as applicable, has discussed with the practitioner the risks of developing a physical or psychological dependence on the controlled, dangerous substance and alternative treatments that may be available. This bill will not apply to a prescription for a patient who is currently in active treatment for cancer, receiving hospice care from a licensed hospice or palliative care, or is a resident of a long-term care facility, or to medications that are being prescribed for use in the treatment of substance abuse or opioid dependence. ON MARCH 17, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2037, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes this bill permissive instead of mandatory. If the practitioner chooses to discuss the risks described above, then the practitioner must include a note in the patient's medical record, as described above in the bill summary.