New Jersey’s 5-day opioid prescription bill signed into law

In a little less than 90 days doctors, in New Jersey who want to prescribe opioids to their patients for the first time will only be able to prescribe them for five days. 

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday signed into law Assembly Bill 3, which introduced sweeping changes in opioid prescribing and addiction treatment. Workers compensation experts have stated that such laws governing the timing and amount of prescription will apply to all licensed doctors, regardless of payer. 

The New Jersey law mandates the shortest time limit in the United States, according to Mark Pew, senior vice president at Prium, a Duluth, Georgia-based medical cost management firm.

Specifically, A.B. 3, mirroring a similar bill passed by the state’s Senate earlier this month, not only limits doctors’ ability to issue first-time opioid prescriptions for more than five days, but mandates that doctors create a pain-management treatment plan regarding the use of opioids and review prescriptions every three months; and requires doctors to obtain a written record that the risks of taking opioids had been discussed with the patient, among other changes.