General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5063
February Session, 2012 *_____HB05063JUD___041912____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 5063
February Session, 2012
*_____HB05063JUD___041912____*
AN ACT CONCERNING TREATMENT FOR A DRUG OVERDOSE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-714a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2012):
A licensed health care professional who is permitted by law to prescribe an opioid antagonist may, if acting with reasonable care, prescribe, dispense or administer an opioid antagonist [to a drug user in need of such intervention] to treat or prevent a drug overdose without being liable for damages [to such person] in a civil action or subject to criminal prosecution for prescribing, dispensing or administering such opioid antagonist or for any subsequent use of such opioid antagonist. For purposes of this section, "opioid antagonist" means naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of drug overdose.
Sec. 2. (Effective October 1, 2012) Not later than January 15, 2013, the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health concerning the number of opioid antagonist prescriptions issued under programs administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to persons other than drug users for self-administration of the opioid antagonist, in accordance with section 17a-714a of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2012 17a-714a
Sec. 2 October 1, 2012 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2012
17a-714a
Sec. 2
October 1, 2012
New section
PH Joint Favorable Subst.
JUD Joint Favorable
PH
Joint Favorable Subst.
JUD
Joint Favorable