SB48 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew JonesSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Opiods, boards certifying prescribing, opiate risk education required

Summary

SB 48 requires Alabama's controlled substances certifying boards to adopt rules that require practitioners to provide opiate risk education to patients to reduce abuse and diversion.

What This Bill Does

Each controlled substances certifying board must adopt rules for mitigating abuse and diversion that include opiate risk education provided by the practitioner. The education must cover addiction and overdose risks, why the prescription is necessary, available alternatives, and the dangers of mixing opioids with alcohol or other central nervous system depressants. Practitioners may require a written acknowledgment from patients, or from parents or guardians for patients under 18. The boards must make a sample patient acknowledgment form available on their websites and may develop additional risk education protocols; the act does not change liability law and becomes effective after a specified period.

Who It Affects

• Practitioners who prescribe controlled substances, who must provide opiate risk education to patients and may obtain written acknowledgments.
• Patients receiving opioid prescriptions (and parents or guardians of minors), who would receive the education and may be required to sign an acknowledgment.

Key Provisions

• Boards must adopt rules to mitigate abuse/diversion that include opiate risk education by practitioners.
• Opiate risk education must cover: addiction/overdose risks; reasons for the prescription; available alternatives; and risks of opioid use, including dependence and dangerous interactions with alcohol or other depressants.
• Practitioners may require a written acknowledgment from patients, or guardians for minors under 18.
• Boards must publish a sample patient acknowledgment form on their websites.
• The act does not require maintaining written records of opiate risk education.
• Boards may develop opiate risk education protocols for the act's purposes.
• The act does not modify existing medical liability laws; compliance cannot be used as evidence of negligence in civil actions.
• Effective date: the first day of the third month after the act becomes law.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health