Earlier this month, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) filed a rule making order to adopt new rules concerning opioid prescribing.
Earlier this month, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC)
filed a rule making order to adopt new rules concerning opioid prescribing that address the requirements laid out in Substitute Senate Bill 5380 as passed by the Legislature in 2019.
The new rules stipulate that when prescribing opioids a provider must inform patients of their right to refuse opioid prescriptions and document any refusal in the patient record. Additionally, the new requirements direct that, prior to the first opioid prescription and each transition phase of treatment, prescribers must discuss with the patient the risks of opioids and notify the patient of pain management alternatives. The rules also specify exemptions for when patient notification requirements do not apply, such as emergent care.
The new rules take effect on March 6, 2020.
Opioid Prescribing Resources
The Department of Health recently published new opioid prescribing checklists. These checklists are not mandatory and are intended as a resource to assist providers when prescribing opioids.
Click on “Dental” (under toolkits) to view checklists for dentists.