Kansas Healthcare Providers – Understanding New Restrictions on Some Prescription Medications

This past October, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reclassified certain hydrocodone pain medications from Schedule III to Schedule II.  This reclassification has placed certain restrictions on how and when physicians can prescribe pain medication subject to this rule change.  While the Kansas Board of Healing Arts seeks to keep all Kansas healthcare professionals apprised of rule changes, it is sometimes difficult to stay on top of rule changes that seem to occur left and right.

Whether you are a physician, a nurse practitioner, a physician’s assistant, or any other healthcare professional in the state of Kansas, you play a role in the quality healthcare that patients receive.  Even if you do not have the authority to write prescription medication for patients, you must be aware of all rules related to prescription practices.  If you are not aware of rule changes such as the reclassification of certain hydrocodone pain medications, the greater the chance is that you could make a mistake when ordering and/or administering medication.

For example, if you call-in or fax a Schedule II hydrocodone medication prescription to a pharmacy, you are violating the new rule change that prescriptions for applicable hydrocodone medication must be in written form only and taken directly to a pharmacy.  While it is highly unlikely that you will lose your Kansas professional license for making a common mistake associated with rule changes, it is still a good example to demonstrate that rules can have a significant impact on how you administer healthcare, and what you must do to adapt your practices to the rule changes.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

In order to avoid those small mistakes that have the potential to violate rule changes, you should be proactive in reviewing literature, reviewing the FDA and DEA websites, collaborating with fellow healthcare professionals, and seeking information or advice from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.  There are numerous ways to ensure you are a step ahead.  Simply keeping yourself up to date will minimize the chances that you will be at risk for losing your Kansas professional license due to a rule violation involving the prescription of certain hydrocodone medications, or anything else for that matter.

To even further protect yourself, you may consider consulting with an attorney who can provide you with definitive information as to what conduct may cause you to face the potential loss of your professional license.  Knowledge is power, and the more you are able to learn from various sources, the less likely you are to violate a rule such as the rule change implemented by the DEA regarding prescription practices for certain hydrocodone medications.

Contact Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation

If you are a Kansas healthcare professional, you know all too well that patients heavily rely on the information they receive from you.  Given that restrictions on certain prescription medications have strengthened, you need to be even more aware of the limitations you have on when and how much of a particular medication to prescribe.  Many law-abiding and ethical Kansas medical professionals have faced the potential loss of their professional license for one reason or another.  Regardless of how minor or serious your situation may seem to be, it is crucial to consider speaking with a qualified Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney right away.  Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office devotes her law practice to helping Kansas professionals fight to keep their hard-earned professional licenses.  As a former Assistant Attorney General of Kansas, Danielle Sanger has prosecutorial experience that enables her to provide her clients with well-rounded and superior legal representation.  To schedule your free consultation with Danielle Sanger, contact the Sanger Law Office today by calling (785) 979-4353.

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