Gov. Chris Christie wants to allay fears that his administration's prescription drug reforms might leave severely sick patients without their medication.

"I don’t want to take the pain medication from your 85-year-old mother. I’m not worried about your 85-year-old mother leaving the bed and going to score heroin in Newark or in Asbury Park," Christie said Wednesday on New Jersey 101.5's Ask The Governor.

Christie was responding to a caller, Jennifer from Manalapan, who was worried that her elderly mother who suffers from a spinal condition would be bed-ridden if she could not continue to take her pain medication.

Christie, this month, signed an executive order that will limit new opiate prescriptions to just five days instead of 30. Christie has said that prescription pills are a gateway to heroin abuse, which has ravaged the state in recent years and has become a top focus of Christie during his last year in office.

The new rule would not affect patients who are already under a doctor's care.

"This is not going to affect her at all," Christie told Jennifer. "But I am concerned about her grandson or granddaughter who doctors give 30 days prescription to when they get their wisdom out when they get a knee operation."

"We do want to make sure her grandson or granddaughter don’t get hooked on opiates, wind up buying heroin and wind up overdosed and dead."

Some doctors have criticized Christie's proposal and objected to past legislative efforts at limiting pain prescriptions.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-438-1015 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.

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