State Sen. Laura Fine’s (D-Glenview) bill to ensure necessary medication for individuals with chronic pain was signed into law Tuesday.
The law allows physicians to prescribe medication for controlled substances, including opioids.
Fine supported the bill with the rationale that individuals suffering from chronic pain should not be restricted in their access to treatment, and the bill aims to further protect the health of patients.
“Patients with legitimate chronic pain are placed at further risk of self-medicating or mental and physical harm if they are restricted from accessing necessary medical treatment,” Fine said in a press release Tuesday.
There will be limitations based on federal dosage restrictions, but the bill is designed to give physicians more flexibility within nationwide parameters.
The law reflects new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since it updated its 2016 recommendations for physicians prescribing opioids for chronic pain. The latest document published in 2022 recommends that physicians prescribe opioids at the “lowest effective dose for the expected duration of pain.”
In addition, the law will further protect patient confidentiality by restricting the release of prescription information without direct orders from the Illinois Department of Human Services or a subpoena from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
“Chronic pain should be managed with the proper prescription by a physician who is treating the patient – not by limitations that fail to address the appropriate level of treatment needed,” Fine said. “This measure will facilitate access to essential health care services and ease the suffering for some individuals in chronic pain.”
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