Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law five new bills aimed at mitigating the opioid crisis in the state, according to a WPXI-TV report. The legislative package includes a number of measures that tighten the prescription of opioids.
According to state officials, around 3,500 deaths in Pennsylvania last year can be attributed to addiction.
The package of bills will limit opioid prescriptions for minors and those in the emergency room to a seven-day supply, with some exceptions. Incidentally, just last week, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also placed a seven-day limit on opioid prescriptions for state employees and those in the state's Medicaid program.
One piece of legislation improves medical training for future physicians regarding opioids and alternatives, while another increases the number of sites where unwanted or expired medication can be dropped off, including all law enforcement sites, hospitals, nursing homes and licensed pharmacies.
Also included in the legislative package is a mandate requiring physicians to check the state's prescription drug monitoring database when prescribing opioids for all patients.
Gov. Wolf, however, noted there was more work to be done with regard to fully solving the opioid problem, according to the report.