General Assembly Committee Bill No. 552
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 4430
*04430SB00552PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 552
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 4430
*04430SB00552PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING A STANDING ORDER PROGRAM FOR DISPENSING OPIOID ANTAGONISTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2017) (a) A prescribing practitioner, as defined in section 20-14c of the general statutes, who is authorized to prescribe an opioid antagonist, as defined in section 17a-714a of the general statutes, may prescribe, by standing order issued to a pharmacist licensed under part II of chapter 400j of the general statutes, an opioid antagonist that is (1) administered by an intranasal application delivery system or an auto-injection delivery system, (2) approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, and (3) dispensed by a pharmacist to any person at risk of experiencing an overdose of an opioid drug, as defined in 42 CFR 8.2, or to a family member, friend or other person in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an overdose of an opioid drug. Any such prescription shall be deemed issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of the prescribing practitioner's professional practice. For purposes of this section and section 20-633c of the general statutes, as amended by this act, "standing order" means a nonpatient specific prescription for an opioid antagonist that is administered by an intranasal application delivery system or an auto-injection delivery system and approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
(b) A pharmacist who agrees to accept a standing order issued under subsection (a) of this section and dispenses an opioid antagonist in accordance with the provisions of said subsection shall be deemed not to have violated any standard of care for a pharmacist.
Sec. 2. Section 20-633c of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) (1) A person who is licensed as a pharmacist under part II of this chapter and is certified in accordance with subsection (b) of this section may prescribe, in good faith, an opioid antagonist, as defined in section 17a-714a. Such pharmacist shall [(1)] (A) provide appropriate training regarding the administration of such opioid antagonist to the person to whom the opioid antagonist is dispensed, and [(2)] (B) maintain a record of such dispensing and the training required pursuant to this chapter.
(2) A person who is licensed as a pharmacist under part II of this chapter may dispense, in good faith, an opioid antagonist, as defined in section 17a-714a, that is administered by an intranasal application delivery system or an auto-injection delivery system, pursuant to a standing order issued under section 1 of this act. Such pharmacist shall (A) provide appropriate training regarding the administration of such opioid antagonist to the person to whom the opioid antagonist is dispensed, and (B) maintain a record of such dispensing and the training required pursuant to this chapter.
(b) A pharmacist may only prescribe or dispense an opioid antagonist pursuant to this section if the pharmacist has been trained and certified by a program approved by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection.
(c) A pharmacist who prescribes or dispenses an opioid antagonist in compliance with this section shall be deemed not to have violated any standard of care for a pharmacist.
(d) The provisions of this section shall apply only to a pharmacist certified in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. No pharmacist may delegate or direct any other person to prescribe or dispense an opioid antagonist or train any person in the administration of such opioid antagonist pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(e) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2017 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2017 20-633c
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2017
New section
Sec. 2
October 1, 2017
20-633c
Statement of Purpose:
To allow pharmacists to dispense opioid antagonists pursuant to a standing order issued by a prescribing practitioner.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. KENNEDY, 12th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
SEN. KENNEDY, 12th Dist.
S.B. 552