Posted: 10/1/2014
Parkland providers say changes will alter how prescriptions are dispensed
Due to a change in federal law, beginning Oct. 6, 2014, all prescriptions for any medicine containing hydrocodone, including medications such as Norco, Lortab, Vicodin and some others, will be reclassified to a Schedule II (2) Controlled Substance. According to experts at Parkland Health & Hospital System, this nationwide change will impact patients seeking new prescriptions and will also restrict the type of providers who can write a prescription for a medicine containing hydrocodone.
“We want our patients to be aware of this change that will be implemented across the country by all pharmacies and health care providers on Oct. 6,” said Vivian Johnson, PharmD, MBA,Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Parkland. “Patients will need to have a prescription for these medications written on a special prescription form each time the medicine is filled.”
In addition, the new law states that most nurse practitioners, physician assistants and medical residents will not be able to write an outpatient prescription for a medicine containing hydrocodone. The new prescription must be written by a physician authorized by the Department of Public Safety to write Schedule II prescriptions on special prescription forms.
Beginning Oct. 6, patients will:
-
Always have to get a written prescription for hydrocodone-containing medicine from their doctor
- No longer be able to receive these medicines from a mail order pharmacy
- Still be required to provide identification to pick up their medication
- No longer be able to rely on their pharmacy to send a refill request to their doctor on their behalf
- Need to check with their pharmacy to see if refills written prior to Oct. 6 will be honored by the pharmacy
“The new law is an attempt by the government to raise the awareness and safely monitor the use of some of the most addictive and potentially dangerous opioid medications,” said Enas Kandil, MD, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Parkland and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Drug overdose death rates have been rising steadily since 1992 with a 118 percent increase from 1999 to 2011 alone according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug overdose was the leading cause of injury death in 2011. Among people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle accidents.
For more information about this change, please contact your physician or pharmacy. Patients filling prescriptions at Parkland who have questions can call the number on their prescription bottle.