SB18-022 Summary

• Establishes maximum initial opioid prescription limits of a 7-day supply for patients without prior opioid prescriptions within 12 months, with discretion to provide a second 7-day fill for podiatrists, dentists, physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, optometrists, and veterinarians.

• Exempts from the 7-day limit patients with chronic pain lasting over 90 days, cancer-related pain, post-surgical pain expected to last over 14 days, or those receiving palliative/hospice care (physicians and advanced practice nurses only).

• Requires practitioners to query the Colorado Prescription Drug Monitoring Program before issuing second opioid fills, except for patients in institutional facilities, with cancer pain, on palliative/hospice care, or receiving single-dose treatment.

• Allows electronic opioid prescribing for all regulated professions and protects program reports from public disclosure, discovery in legal proceedings, and use as legal evidence against prescribing practitioners.

• All provisions sunset effective September 1, 2021, except the PDMP integration reporting requirement which expires July 1, 2020.