Florida Gov. Rick Scott is signing legislation to combat the state's opioid epidemic.
The Governor's office announced Sunday that Scott will sign the bill on Monday in Bradenton. Manatee County saw the highest amount of deaths in the state from fentanyl analogs in 2015. Fentanyl analogs are usually prescribed for veterinary use and often 5,000 times more lethal than heroin.
The opioids crisis — which claims the lives of at least 16 Sunshine State residents per day — was a top priority of the Republican governor and the Legislature.
The bill imposes new restrictions on prescriptions, calls for $53.5 million in state and federal grant funding for treatment programs and updates the state's prescription database.
Most initial prescriptions would have a limit of three days, but doctors could prescribe up to seven days for acute pain exceptions.
