Florida is in the midst of an opioid crisis. To stem the skyrocketing opioid abuse rates, then Gov. Rick Scott signed Health Bill 21 into law on March 19, 2018, severely restricting the quantities and duration of opiate pain medications providers may prescribe and dispense. Effective as of July 1, 2018, the new law forced health systems and outpatient pharmacies to scramble to understand the law and to comply with the new regulations. Under the new law, controlling the opioid abuse epidemic seemed to be at odds with maintaining appropriate pain control in patients with true indications for opiate therapy. The ethical debate focuses on whether patients who truly require opiates for pain control will experience additional difficulty in obtaining prescriptions in an atmosphere that already stigmatizes the use of opiates.

Please join us in this discussion and hear testimonies from individuals who have faced challenges with opioid addiction and mental health issues.