According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, narcotic painkillers — more commonly known as opioids — are the cause of more than 150 deaths in the state every year.

In recent years, the number of deaths related to opioid abuse has risen, and experts say that is largely due to doctors overprescribing drugs.

One bill, HF 2377, would try to combat the rising opioid epidemic in Iowa and ultimately reduce the number of people treated for opioid abuse.

The bill, which passed the Senate unanimously on Monday, would require doctors, dentists and nurse practitioners to undergo higher levels of scrutiny before prescribing opioids.

This scrutiny would require doctors and other health care providers to check the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program before prescribing opioids to a patient. This registry shows doctors if a patient has been going to multiple clinics to receive multiple prescriptions of the same kind. This practice, known as “doctor shopping,” is often times used by addicts to get a higher quantity of pills.

It also requires doctors to write opioid prescriptions electronically rather than by paper which can be forged or altered more easily. For clinics that currently don’t have the capabilities to do electronic prescriptions, this law would go into effect by 2020.

In addition to adding new scrutiny, the bill also sends healthcare providers an annual report that shows how many addictive drugs they prescribed as well as a way to compare themselves to other health care providers.

The bill passed the House earlier this session, but as a result of amendments made in the Senate, the bill will have to be sent back to the House.

“The abuse and misuse of opioids costs our state $748 per Iowan per year for health care, substance abuse treatment, criminal justice, lost productivity and fatalities,” Sen. Rita Hart, D-Wheatland, said in her newsletter. “The Legislature can help tackle the crisis by passing safeguards for prescribing opioids before we adjourn for the year.”

To encourage people to report opioid overdoses, the bill has a “good samaritan” provision that would prevent people from being prosecuted for drug possession if they call to report another person’s overdose.

The Legislature was supposed to convene on April 17, but difficulties related to the budget and other key issues has created the need for the Legislature to remain in session.

The bipartisan bill is expected to pass the House and be signed by the governor, bringing the session one step closer to adjourning.  

For more information on the opioid epidemic, the Iowa State Daily made a documentary highlighting the issue and how it affects Iowa.