2016 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 21 - Food And Drugs
Chapter 21-28 - Uniform Controlled Substances Act
Section 21-28-3.20 - Authority of practitioner to prescribe, administer, and dispense.

§ 21-28-3.20 Authority of practitioner to prescribe, administer, and dispense.

(a) A practitioner, in good faith and in the course of his or her professional practice only, may prescribe, administer, and dispense controlled substances, or he or she may cause the controlled substances to be administered by a nurse or intern under his or her direction and supervision.

(b) The prescription-monitoring program shall be reviewed prior to starting any opioid. A prescribing practitioner, or designee as authorized by § 21-28-3.32(a)(3), shall review the prescription-monitoring program prior to refilling or initiating opioid therapy with an intrathecal pump. For patients the prescribing practitioner is maintaining on continuous opioid therapy for pain for three (3) months or longer, the prescribing practitioner shall review information from the prescription-monitoring program at least every three (3) months. Documentation of that review shall be noted in the patient's medical record.

(c) The director of health shall develop regulations for prescribing practitioners on appropriate limits of opioid use in acute pain management. Initial prescriptions of opioids for acute pain management of outpatient adults shall not exceed thirty (30) morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) total daily dose per day for a maximum total of twenty (20) doses, and, for pediatric patients, the appropriate opioid dosage maximum per the department of health.

(d) For the purposes of this section, acute pain management shall not include chronic pain management, pain associated with a cancer diagnosis, palliative or nursing home care, or other exception in accordance with department of health regulations.

(e) Subsection (c) shall not apply to medications designed for the treatment of substance abuse or opioid dependence.

History of Section.
(P.L. 1974, ch. 183, § 2; P.L. 1992, ch. 434, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 43; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 43; P.L. 2005, ch. 93, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 104, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 180, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 199, § 1.)