PHOENIX (AP) - Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill fixing problems with opioid legislation that lawmakers rushed to pass last year but which resulted in some legitimate patients struggling to get pills they need.
The legislation signed Thursday delays a mandate for health care providers to write electronic prescriptions for the most tightly controlled medications until next year.
Last year's opioid bill created a variety of problems. It unintentionally prevented physician assistants from prescribing opioids for more than three days and left no legal way to write scripts if the electronic system goes down.
Some pharmacies couldn't fill opioid prescriptions because of conflicts with federal policies. Veterinarians have no electronic prescribing software available.
More than 40,000 health care providers applied for waivers because they weren't ready for electronic prescribing.
