Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards signed three bills into law on Monday collectively aimed at curbing the rising rates of opioid overdoses in Louisiana, according to The Advocate.
House Bill 192 limits first time opioid prescriptions to seven days. House Bill 490 establishes a 13-member council on opioid abuse prevention and education. Senate Bill 55 is designed to limit physician shopping by requiring prescribers to check the state's prescription monitoring database prior to writing an opioid prescription.
From 2014 to 2015, Louisiana's rate of opioid overdoses increased by 12 percent, according to data from the state health department cited by The Advocate.
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