The House Ways and Means Committee has approved legislation to require prescriptions for opioids to be transmitted from the doctor to the pharmacy electronically.

The next step is approval by the full House of Representatives.

The bill would require the electronic prescribing of prescription drugs in Michigan by Jan. 1, 2021.

If a prescriber could not meet the electronic transmission requirements due to a technological limitation that was not reasonably within their control, they could apply for a waiver from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.