Governor Ron DeSantis yesterday signed CS/CS/HB 451 by Representative Scott Plakon and Senator Keith Perry into law. The Nonopioid Alternatives measure will now give patients more choices to manage decisions related to pain treatment and anesthesia services.
CS/CS/HB 451 directs the Florida Department of Health to develop and publish on its website an educational pamphlet regarding the use of nonopioid alternatives to treat pain. The bill requires health providers to discuss nonopioid alternatives with a patient prior to prescribing an opioid, provide a copy of the DOH-developed pamphlet to the patient and document the discussion in the patient’s medical record. These requirements do not apply to emergency care and services.
The Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA) released the following statement regarding the passage of the bill:
“Floridians deserve to know that there are many ways to manage both acute and chronic pain conditions that do not involve opioids. We thank Gov. Ron DeSantis for making it easier for patients to obtain this information by signing HB 451 into law.
“Research has shown that many suffering from opioid dependence were first exposed through a legitimate prescription from a health provider who was treating them for pain, an injury, surgery, or a dental procedure. HB 451 is a cutting-edge approach to this issue, because it will help patients make informed decisions about their health care before they are first exposed to opioids.
“The signing of the bill makes Florida one of only a handful of states in the country to adopt a nonopioid alternatives measure giving patients the right to request that no opioids are administered without a conversation with their health providers. As highly trained and educated anesthesia providers, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are at the forefront of revolutionary alternatives to opioids in anesthesia and post-anesthesia care, and we are proud to have played a role in bringing this issue to the forefront.
“We thank Sen. Keith Perry and Rep. Scott Plakon for being our champions, and for seeing this important bill through to the very end. We also want to applaud Dr. Jeanne Antolchick, Ph.D., APRN, CRNA, for leading the charge and making sure this issue received the attention it deserved.”
