Cutrona's Bill Addressing Opioid Crisis Clears General Assembly

COLUMBUS – State Representative Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) announced today that House Bill 193 has been approved by the General Assembly. This legislation requires Schedule II prescriptions to be completed electronically.

Under the legislation, Schedule II drugs will have to be prescribed through electronic means, except in certain circumstances. This will help reduce situations where individuals try to obtain Schedule II drugs from pharmacies with stolen or fraudulent scripts. Additionally, the bill provides a safe harbor provision for pharmacists.

“I’m very pleased that after many in-depth discussions on this bill that it has been approved by the General Assembly and will be on its way to the Governor,” said Cutrona. “One of my key priorities that I ran on was addressing the opioid crisis; it’s something that we need to call immediate attention to now.”

Before the bill returned and was concurred on in the House chamber, the Senate added amendments that were offered by Representative Cutrona. These amendments include additional exceptions to the e-prescribing, requiring the Ohio-licensed physician who receives consultation from the out-of-state physician must have an established physician-patient relationship with the patient in consultation, and regarding home-like pediatric respite care programs.

Cutrona notes that nearly half the states around the country have enacted mandatory e-prescribing of Scheduled II drugs. Due to this, it would give Ohio the ability to connect with those states and learn what has worked and what modifications might need to be made.

This legislation will now head to the Governor for his signature in the coming weeks.