Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Trump Administration Looks to Give Federal Employees Fewer Opioids

Government Executive: The Trump administration is promising to give federal employees injured on the job fewer prescription opioids, noting the risk of substance abuse for that line of treatment.

The Labor Department’s Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation instituted new rules that took effect this week, which will limit the duration of opioid prescriptions for incapacitated feds to 60 days. The office encouraged doctors to prescribe “the shortest duration of opioid medication that will provide appropriate pain relief,” and capped fills to 30 days at a time. No more than two opioids may be prescribed at once, including in compounded medications. Those meds will now require a Letter of Medical Necessity before being prescribed.

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