Florida Senate’s bill on opioids clears first committee

Florida Senate’s bill on opioids clears first committee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Senate’s version of a bill to combat the state’s opioid epidemic has passed its first committee.

The bill (SB 8) passed the Health Quality Committee on Tuesday. It must go through two more committees before reaching the Senate floor.

Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto’s bill is similar to one in the House. It places a three-day limit on most initial prescriptions but does allow for a seven-day supply in certain conditions. It also requires all health care professionals to participate in a statewide database that monitors prescriptions.

Some state physician groups are asking that the Legislature consider increasing the seven-day supply to 14.

The House’s version of the bill (HB 21) passed the Health Quality Subcommittee last week. The next stop for both bills is their respective Appropriations Committees.

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