Pennsylvania Statutes Title 35 P.S. Health and Safety § 873.3. Prescribing practices

(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