3-day limit on painkiller prescriptions among new laws taking effect Thursday

Lexington Herald Leader: The number of drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky has climbed the past four years, culminating in an all-time high of 1,404 in 2016. It is hoped that a new law restricting opioid prescriptions, which takes effect Thursday, will reverse the trend.

By placing a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions for acute pain, such as removal of wisdom teeth, lawmakers hope House Bill 333 will hit the opioid epidemic where it often starts — prescriptions from well-intending physicians. A 2013 study found that 80 percent of heroin users reported using prescription opioids before heroin.

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