Sen. Larson Marks International Overdose Awareness Day at Ceremonial Opioid Bill Signing

Senator Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) marked International Overdose Awareness Day by joining local and state leaders at the Hartford Library today for a ceremonial bill signing of a new law designed to further the state’s efforts combatting the opioid crisis.

Public Act 17-131, An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse:

• 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 certain 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