Medical Board Posts Opioid Consent Form for Minors

The State Medical Board has completed a START TALKING! Consent Form, which prescribers must use and maintain in the patient record when prescribing opioids to minors. 

HB 314 (Minor Prescribing), which mandates a three-part process for prescribing  opioids to minors, was effective September 17. It  also limits the quantity of opioids a prescriber may prescribe to a minor to a 72-hour supply. The informed consent process in the bill requires the following:

Assessment.  As part of the  examination of the minor, the prescriber must assess whether the minor has ever suffered, or is currently suffering, from mental health or substance abuse disorders and whether the minor has taken or is currently taking prescription drugs for treatment of those disorders.

Discussion. The prescriber must discuss with the minor and the minor's parent, guardian, or another adult authorized to consent to the minor's medical treatment all of the following:

• The risks of addiction and overdose associated with the controlled substance being prescribed.
• The increased risk of addiction to controlled substances of individuals suffering from both mental and     substance abuse disorders.
• The dangers of taking controlled substances containing opioids with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants.
• Any other information in the patient counseling information section of labeling for the controlled substance required by the federal regulation governing the content and format of labeling for human prescription drug and biological products. (The information in this section should, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "summarize the information that a health care provider should convey to a patient (or caregiver when applicable) when a counseling discussion is taking place (e.g., a physician prescribing a drug during an office visit, a nurse providing discharge instructions at a hospital, or a pharmacist conveying information at a pharmacy)." It includes (1) information necessary for patients to use the drug safely and effectively, and (2) if applicable, reference to FDA-approved patient labeling.

Signed Consent Form. The prescriber must obtain written consent for the prescription from the minor's parent, guardian, or another adult authorized to consent to the minor's medical treatment The consent must be recorded on a form known as the "Start Talking!" consent form. That form must be separate from any other document the prescriber uses to obtain informed consent for other treatment provided to the minor and contain all of the following information:

• The name and quantity of the controlled substance being prescribed and the amount of the initial dose.
• A statement indicating that a controlled substance is a drug or other substance that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has identified as having a potential for abuse.
• A statement certifying that the prescriber discussed with the minor and the minor's parent, guardian, or another adult authorized to consent to the minor's medical treatment
• The number of refills authorized by the prescription.
• The signature of the minor's parent, guardian, or another adult authorized to consent to the minor's medical treatment and the date of signing.

 To download the Start Talking form from the State Medical Board of Ohio web site: CLICK HERE