The city of Chicago is asking major employers to follow its lead and limit coverage of prescription opioid painkillers to seven days at a time for many workers.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Monday that many city employees will now be limited to seven days worth of prescription opioid painkillers at a time, a move aimed at fighting opioid addiction in the city.

The idea of limiting opioid prescriptions to seven days isn’t a new one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends prescribing opioids for short durations for acute pain, saying three days is often enough and more than seven days is rarely needed. A number of health insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies and states already impose similar limits.

UnitedHealth Group companies impose limits in line with those recommendations, as does Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for members who use its pharmacy benefit manager, Prime Therapeutics. This year, pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark limited new opioid prescriptions for acute conditions to seven-day supplies, with clients who don’t want to participate opting out.

Walmart also announced this year it would impose a seven-day limit.

“One element that’s contributed significantly to the opioid crisis throughout the nation has been over-prescribing of opioids,” said Dr. Julie Morita, Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner. “It’s really to make sure there’s not an excess amount of prescription opioids available to individuals in the community.”

If city employees need more than seven days of opioids, they’ll have to get prior authorization, Morita said. Patients being treated for cancer pain, chronic pain, terminal illness or on palliative or hospice care may get longer prescriptions. The city has about 33,000 employees. Its pharmacy benefit managers are CVS Caremark and Prime Therapeutics, Morita said.

In Chicago, 741 people died of opioid overdoses in 2016, a 74 percent increase from 2015, according to the city.

Michigan, Florida and Tennessee recently passed laws limiting opioid prescriptions. Illinois lawmakers tried to pass a similar law that would have prohibited doctors from prescribing opioids for use outside of hospitals for more than seven days with exceptions for chronic pain management, cancer and palliative care. The bill, introduced in February, has not moved since April.

Some groups, such as the Illinois Pharmacists Association, have opposed such measures, saying they can hurt patients in pain.

“We’re erecting additional barriers for patients who are legitimately seeking pain management treatment,” said Garth Reynolds, association executive director. “We are continuing to increase the stigma and treat patients who have legitimate pain management concerns like they’re lower-class citizens or doing something wrong or criminal.”

Limits can mean more co-pays for patients who have to fill multiple opioid prescriptions and more time visiting doctors to get additional prescriptions, he said.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker