Florida Senate - 2026                              CS for SB 844
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
       and Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       603-02826-26                                           2026844c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to sickle cell disease care management
    3         and treatment continuing education; amending s.
    4         456.0301, F.S.; revising requirements for a continuing
    5         education course on prescribing controlled substances
    6         which health care practitioners are required to
    7         complete; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   12  456.0301, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         456.0301 Requirement for instruction on controlled
   14  substance prescribing.—
   15         (1)(a) The appropriate board shall require each person
   16  registered with the United States Drug Enforcement
   17  Administration and authorized to prescribe controlled substances
   18  pursuant to 21 U.S.C. s. 822 to complete a board-approved 2-hour
   19  continuing education course on prescribing controlled substances
   20  offered by a statewide professional association of physicians in
   21  this state that is accredited to provide educational activities
   22  designated for the American Medical Association Physician’s
   23  Recognition Award Category 1 Credit or the American Osteopathic
   24  Category 1-A continuing medical education credit as part of
   25  biennial license renewal. The course must include information on
   26  the current standards for prescribing controlled substances,
   27  particularly opiates; alternatives to these standards;
   28  nonpharmacological therapies; prescribing emergency opioid
   29  antagonists; and the risks of opioid addiction following all
   30  stages of treatment in the management of acute pain; and the
   31  treatment of pain for patients with sickle cell disease. The
   32  course may be offered in a distance learning format and must be
   33  included within the number of continuing education hours
   34  required by law. The department may not renew the license of any
   35  prescriber registered with the United States Drug Enforcement
   36  Administration to prescribe controlled substances who has failed
   37  to complete the course. The course must be completed by January
   38  31, 2019, and at each subsequent renewal. This paragraph does
   39  not apply to a licensee who is required by his or her applicable
   40  practice act to complete a minimum of 2 hours of continuing
   41  education on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled
   42  substances.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.