Massachusetts
For Massachusetts, initial supply days is 7; applies to is All opiate prescriptions; adults for first-time outpatient use, minors at any time; exception provision is More than a 7-day supply may be issued if, in the practitioner's professional medical judgment, it is required to treat the patient's acute medical condition or is necessary for chronic pain management, cancer pain, or palliative care; the triggering condition must be documented in the medical record; citation is Section 19D, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.
- state
- Massachusetts our reading
- initial supply days
- 7 verified
- applies to
- All opiate prescriptions; adults for first-time outpatient use, minors at any time our reading
- exception provision
- More than a 7-day supply may be issued if, in the practitioner's professional medical judgment, it is required to treat the patient's acute medical condition or is necessary for chronic pain management, cancer pain, or palliative care; the triggering condition must be documented in the medical record
- citation
- Section 19D
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
When issuing a prescription for an opiate to an adult patient for outpatient use for the first time, a practitioner shall not issue a prescription for more than a 7–day supply. A practitioner shall not issue an opiate prescription to a minor for more than a 7–day supply at any time and shall discuss with the parent or guardian of the minor the risks associated with opiate use and the reasons why the prescription is necessary. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if, in the professional medical judgment of a practitioner, more than a 7–day supply of an opiate is required to treat the adult or minor patient's acute medical condition or is necessary for the treatment of chronic pain management, pain associated with a cancer diagnoses or for palliative care, then the practitioner may issue a prescription for the quantity needed to treat such acute medical condition, chronic pain, pain associated with a cancer diagnosis or pain experienced while the patient is in palliative care. The condition triggering the prescription of an opiate for more than a 7–day supply shall be documented in the patient's medical record and the practitioner shall indicate that a non-opiate alternative was not appropriate to address the medical condition.
— malegislature.gov, retrieved 2026-08-18
Source
- malegislature.govhttps://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXV/Chapter94C/Section19D