Why Can't Pain Management Physicians Understand the 2018 Arizona Prescribing Law?

My pain doctor's office called today to tell me the physician was refusing to sign my refill prescription unless I agreed to lower the dose again.... 

Why is it so hard for otherwise smart people like physicians to read and understand the laws that govern them?

The 2018 opioid prescribing law says it has exemptions for current patients... 

This is what the law says.....
New Prescribing Limits on Opioids

Under the new Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, beginning April 26, 2018, the prescribing of opioids will be limited in two significant ways. 

First, a health professional shall limit the initial prescription for a schedule II opioid to a five-day supply, except an initial opioid prescription following a surgical procedure is limited to a 14-day supply. 

Additionally, the Act prohibits a prescriber from issuing a new prescription for a schedule II opioid that exceeds 90 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day. 

There are exemptions to these prescribing laws and a complete list of exemptions can be found in A.R.S. §§ 32-3248 and 32-3248.01. SEE BELOW

Dose Limits 2018

Arizona Revised Statute 32-3248.01. Schedule II controlled substances; dosage limit; exceptions; morphine; opioid antagonist; definition

A. A health professional who is authorized under this title to prescribe controlled substances may not issue a new prescription order for a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid that exceeds ninety morphine milligram equivalents per day.

B. The limit prescribed by subsection A of this section does not apply to:

1. A continuation of a prior prescription order that was issued within the previous sixty days.

In other words they shouldn't reduce the dose to under 90 mg's if the patient was already receiving a higher dose.