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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3999 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1983
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Carole A. Fiola
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to educate on prescription opioids.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carole A. Fiola6th Bristol1/20/2023Bud L. Williams11th Hampden1/25/2023Alan Silvia7th Bristol1/30/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/15/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3999 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1983
By Representative Fiola of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1983) of
Carole A. Fiola and others for legislation to require certain practitioners to provide education on
the potential adverse risks of prescription opioids. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to educate on prescription opioids.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 94C of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 18C the following new section:-
3 Section 18D. In the event that a practitioner issues a prescription for an opioid contained
4in Schedule II of section 3, the practitioner shall also provide education on the potential adverse
5risks of the prescription opioid to include, the need to also obtain an opioid overdose reversal
6agent, such as naloxone, if one of the following conditions is present: (i) the patient is prescribed
7an opioid which individually or in aggregate with other medications is more than equal to 50
8morphine milligram 7 equivalents per day; (ii) the patient is prescribed any dose of an opioid
9when a benzodiazepine has been prescribed in the past 30 days or will be prescribed at the visit;
10or (iii) the patient has a prior history of opioid use disorder or overdose or has a history of
11substance use disorder. If the practitioner does not provide this education on an opioid antagonist 2 of 2
12at the time said prescription for an opioid is issued, the practitioner shall document in the
13patient’s medical record why an opioid antagonist was not appropriate for the patient.