Section 873.3 - Prescribing practices(a) Limitation on quantity of opioid drug products.-- (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a health care practitioner may not prescribe an opioid drug product to an individual seeking treatment in an emergency department or urgent care center, OR WHO IS IN OBSERVATION STATUS IN A HOSPITAL, in a quantity sufficient to treat that individual for more than seven days.(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if, in the professional medical judgment of a health care practitioner, more than a seven-day supply of an opioid drug product is required to treat a patient's acute medical condition or is necessary for the treatment of pain associated with a cancer diagnosis or for palliative care, then the health care practitioner may issue a prescription for the quantity needed to treat such acute medical condition or pain associated with a cancer diagnosis or for palliative care. The condition triggering prescription of the opioid drug product under this paragraph shall be documented in the patient's medical record, and the health care practitioner must indicate that a non-opioid drug product alternative was not appropriate to treat the medical condition .(b) Refills.--A health care practitioner in an emergency department or urgent care center , OR WHO IS CARING FOR A PATIENT IN OBSERVATION STATUS, MAY NOT WRITE A PRESCRIPTION REFILL FOR AN OPIOID DRUG PRODUCT.Added by P.L. TBD 2016 No. 122, § 3, eff. 1/1/2017.