Evidence status: CURRENT TWELVE-WEEK TRIGGER AND CONTENTS RECORD. Connecticut’s chronic-opioid agreement/care-plan requirement activates when opioid treatment for pain extends beyond 12 weeks.

Trigger point

The statute applies when a prescribing practitioner prescribes an opioid drug for treatment of pain for a duration greater than 12 weeks.

Required documentation

The agreement or care-plan discussion must be recorded in the patient’s medical record.

Required clinical subjects

• Treatment goals.
• Risks of opioid therapy.
• Urine drug screens.
• Expectations for continuing opioid treatment.
• Situations that may require discontinuation.
• Nonopioid treatment options, to the extent possible.

Care plan is not a loophole

The statute’s alternative care-plan path still requires the same minimum subjects and medical-record documentation. It changes the form of compliance, not the existence of the chronic-opioid planning requirement.

Signature distinction

Unlike several other states, §20-14s does not expressly state that the patient must sign the agreement or care plan. If a Connecticut practice requires signatures, that requirement should be traced to the practice, another authority, or professional policy rather than attributed automatically to §20-14s.

Primary source

• CGS §20-14s

Reviewed: October 4, 2026.