Texas · Through 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025

Tex. Health and Safety Code § 481.07636: OPIOID PRESCRIPTION LIMITS.

(a) In this section, "acute pain" means the normal, predicted, physiological response to a stimulus such as trauma, disease, and operative procedures. Acute pain is time limited. The term does not include:
(1) chronic pain;
(2) pain being treated as part of cancer care;
(3) pain being treated as part of hospice or other end-of-life care; or
(4) pain being treated as part of palliative care.
(b) For the treatment of acute pain, a practitioner may not:
(1) issue a prescription for an opioid in an amount that exceeds a 10-day supply; or
(2) provide for a refill of an opioid.
(c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a prescription for an opioid approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of substance addiction that is issued by a practitioner for the treatment of substance addiction.
(d) A dispenser is not subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties for dispensing or refusing to dispense a controlled substance under a prescription that exceeds the limits provided by Subsection (b).
Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1105 (H.B. 2174), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2019.

Where this section sits in the code

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
TITLE 6. FOOD, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
SUBTITLE C. SUBSTANCE ABUSE REGULATION AND CRIMES
CHAPTER 481. TEXAS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT
SUBCHAPTER C. REGULATION OF MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, AND DISPENSATION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, CHEMICAL PRECURSORS, AND CHEMICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS

(1) chronic pain;

(2) pain being treated as part of cancer care;

(3) pain being treated as part of hospice or other end-of-life care; or

(4) pain being treated as part of palliative care.

(b) For the treatment of acute pain, a practitioner may not:

(1) issue a prescription for an opioid in an amount that exceeds a 10-day supply; or

(2) provide for a refill of an opioid.

(c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a prescription for an opioid approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of substance addiction that is issued by a practitioner for the treatment of substance addiction.

(d) A dispenser is not subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties for dispensing or refusing to dispense a controlled substance under a prescription that exceeds the limits provided by Subsection (b).

Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1105 (H.B. 2174), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2019.

Collected 2026-08-27T01:47:17Z. Source file · JSON

Browse this collection