Controlled Substances Passes First Senate Committee

Feb 9, 2024
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the Senate Health Policy Committee unanimously passed SB 8 by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto (R- Fort Myers) with a strike-all amendment that included provisions related to step drug therapy programs. This bill attempts to make changes to the prescribing and dispending of controlled substances. The legislation would limit a prescription for a Schedule II opioid for the treatment of acute pain to a three-day supply. Practitioners would be able to write a prescription for a seven-day supply if the practitioner deemed it “medically necessary.” In the bill, “acute pain” is defined as the normal, predicted, physiological and time-limited response to an adverse chemical, thermal or mechanical stimulus associated with surgery, trauma or acute illness. Additionally, the legislation would make it mandatory for health care practitioners to check the prescription drug database before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance.

Many health care groups, including the Florida Dental Association (FDA), provided testimony before the committee outlining the concerns of implementing a threeday supply limit for patients, especially after surgical procedures.

SB 8 now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The companion bill, CS/HB 21 by Rep. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), is waiting to be heard in the House Appropriations Committee. 

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