Press Releases
05/31/2017
Gov. Malloy Hails House Passage of Legislation Furthering the State’s Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy is applauding the bipartisan, unanimous vote in the Connecticut House of Representatives this afternoon to approve legislation he introduced earlier this year and developed in cooperation with a number of lawmakers that was designed to further the state’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
The legislation, which next moves to the State Senate for their consideration, builds upon a series of reforms that Governor Malloy has signed into law on the topic since taking office in 2011.
“Opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse is a disease that is impacting nearly every community and people of every background. It is a complex crisis that does not have one root cause, nor does it have simple solution, but we need to do everything in our power to treat and prevent it,” Governor Malloy said. “Our work on this front will not be finished until our communities and our families are no longer struggling with the grave costs of this illness. I would like to thank the bipartisan leadership of the legislature’s Public Health and General Law committees for working with our administration to craft this legislation and make it even better. We must move forward in a concerted effort to tackle this issue, and I urge the Senate to quickly adopt this legislation so I can sign it into law.”
“By engaging providers and strengthening partnerships, this bill continues progress to curb the opioid epidemic, and prevent new victims,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said. “I applaud the House on passage and urge the Senate to send this legislation to the Governor’s desk.”
The legislation is House Bill 7052, An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse. The amended legislation that was approved today has several provisions, including:
- Increases data sharing between state agencies regarding opioid abuse and opioid overdose deaths
- Facilitates the destruction of unused prescription medication by utilizing registered nurses employed for home health care agencies
- Increases security of controlled substances prescriptions by requiring scheduled drugs be electronically prescribed
- Allows patients to file a voluntary non-opioid form in their medical records indicating that they do not want to be prescribed or administered opioid drugs
- Expands requirements about information regarding provider communications about of the risk and signs of addiction, and the dangers of drug interactions to cover all opioid prescriptions – current law is just for minors
- Reduces the maximum opioid drug prescription for minors from seven days to five days
- Requires the Department of Public Health to put information online about how prescribers can obtain certification for suboxone and other medicines to treat opioid use disorder
- Requires individual and group health insurers to cover medically necessary detox treatment, as defined by American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria
- Requires alcohol and drug treatment facilities use ASAM criteria for admission guidelines
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