Harm Reduction Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders - school districts, nonpublic schools, and specified public persons may obtain and administer opiate antagonists - definition of drug paraphernalia - hospitals as clean syringe exchange sites - opiate antagonist bulk purchase fund - household medication take-back program - identity verification for individuals initiating into treatment - appropriation. The act:

• Allows school districts and nonpublic schools to develop policies by which schools are authorized to obtain a supply of opiate antagonists and school employees are trained to administer opiate antagonists to individuals at risk of experiencing a drug overdose;
• Allows a prescriber to prescribe or dispense and a pharmacist to dispense an opiate antagonist to law enforcement agencies, schools, or specified public persons;
• Removes from the definition of "drug paraphernalia" equipment, products, and materials used in testing or analyzing a controlled substance;
• Specifies that a licensed or certified hospital may be used as a clean syringe exchange site;
• Creates the opiate antagonist bulk purchase fund to facilitate bulk purchasing of opiate antagonists at a discounted price;
• Expands the household medication take-back program in the department of public health and environment (department) for the purpose of allowing the safe collection and disposal of needles, syringes, and other devices used to inject medication;
• Authorizes a public person or entity that makes an automated external defibrilator available to the public to also make an opiate antagonist available to the public; and
• Requires the department of health care policy and financing to establish a policy on how a substance use disorder treatment program must verify the identity of individuals initiating into detoxification, withdrawal, or maintenance treatment for a substance use disorder.

$659,472 is appropriated to the department to implement the act.

Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)