FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Ohio’s governor unveiled a plan Thursday to curb opioid abuse by limiting prescriptions to just seven days. Indiana lawmakers have been pushing a similar bill through the statehouse.

State Senator Liz Brown (R – District 15) said in the fight against opioid abuse, there’s a lot to consider.”I think we need to do what we can without trying to harm most of us who are good citizens and need to get our healthcare and be treated appropriately, but we do need to attack this health crisis in every way we can.”

Th statehouse’s latest effort is to limit prescriptions to just seven days. Lawmakers are determined to curb the amount of prescription painkillers going out, but they want be considerate to more painful cases.

“We had people testify from a burn unit and those patients have pretty terrible and painful injuries and it takes more than seven days and we don’t want people to have to keep going back, particularly if it’s long distance to get their prescription fill because these kinds of prescriptions have to be filled in person,” Brown said.

There are some exceptions to the rule. If the patient has cancer or a serious illness, the doctor can prescribe a longer supply. They also can to a patient who needs the medication to overcome substance abuse.

“In the doctor’s best medical judgment, if they think you need more than seven days you can get that filled but you have to be able to note in your medical records that it’s in the doctor’s best judgement that you should have more than seven,” Brown explained. “So the idea is to get doctors to understand that let’s try to give the least amount of pain medication as possible, which I think most have been doing all along. We just had a few, perhaps, in the past who have been overly generous with their prescription.”

The bill has passed in the senate and the house. It now waits the governor’s signature.