Louisiana doctors are getting notices that they must take a three-hour course in prescribing opioids or pain killers, before they renew their 2020 medical licenses.
This comes after Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill in reaction to the rising deaths from both pain pills and heroin addiction.
The new rules for prescribing opioids prohibits doctors from prescribing more than a seven-day supply for a first-time prescription for adults who have an acute outpatient condition. For a minor, it's more strict; only a seven-day supply at any time, including a discussion with the parents about the risks and dangers.
"Now they are being told that, you probably don't need more than seven days, whereas before, we were to give the patient whatever they needed. And of course, it's going to require more visits, because if the patients have acute pain, you really need to evaluate them, to see why they have that acute pain, before you give them any more medicine," explained Dr. Vincent A. Culotta, Jr., the Executive Director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is approving the opioid education courses and making sure doctors know it is required. More potent prescriptions that came out over the years, have caused problems.
"It used to be you could give opioids for a few days without any trouble. It's gotten to the point now, some of these people are addicted within two days," Dr. Culotta said.
A patient, we'll call 'Mike' takes opioids for chronic head-to-toe pain from a severe car wreck. He says insurance is now questioning his doses and not paying as much as they did in the past. He is concerned that the overdose epidemic is hurting legitimate patients.
"You know unbearable pain. It's constant. The pain has robbed me of life," said the chronic pain patient.
For him, it's been harder to find a doctor who will prescribe pain killers.
"Without that, I'm bed ridden or laid up on this couch. And it's no life to live," he said.
But the State Board of Medical Examiners says there is a process clearly laid out for doctors to follow when prescribing for chronic pain patients. And as long as that protocol is followed, there should be no issues. The new guidelines are for the safety of other patients.
"What we're now making, trying to make all physicians aware of, is that there are alternatives to opioids. They're not necessarily needed to be used, as long as we use to use them," said Dr. Culotta.
Doctors will also be required to let patients know that they don't need to fill the entire prescription quantity, while also explaining the health risks of opioids.
Meg Farris can be reached at mfarris@wwltv.com.