Opioid Abuse Deterrence, Research, and Recovery Act of 2017
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration from registering, or renewing the registration of, a practitioner who is licensed to prescribe opioids in schedule II or III unless the practitioner agrees to limit an opioid prescription for the initial treatment of acute pain to the lesser of a seven-day supply (no refill) or an opioid prescription limit established under state law.
Certain opioid prescriptions are not subject to the limit (e.g., an opioid that is approved and prescribed for the treatment of an opioid use disorder).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must continue to work with stakeholders to promote the development of abuse-deterrent opioid formulations.
The bill requires: (1) the Government Accountability Office to study and report on health care policy changes that may have contributed to the increase in opioid overdoses and deaths, and (2) the FDA to study the feasibility of replacing opioid prescribing limits established by this bill with evidence-based clinical guidelines for opioid prescribing.