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No significant fiscal implication to the State or units of local government is anticipated.
Current law reserves access to opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, to hospitals and first responders only.
The bill would add a new subchapter to the Health and Safety Code that would broaden the authorized prescription, distribution, possession, and administration of opioid antagonists in certain circumstances. The bill would authorize a prescriber to prescribe and a pharmacist to dispense an opioid antagonist to a person at risk of experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose or a family member, friend, or other person in a position to assist at-risk individuals. The bill would also authorize any person to possess an opioid antagonist, regardless of whether the person holds a prescription for the opioid antagonist. A person acting in good faith and with reasonable care, who administers or fails to administer an opioid antagonist, would not be held criminally or civilly liable or be subject to sanctions.
5/24/2015 update:
This bill was amended in the House committee, but we still support SB 1462.
The second chamber sponsor is Representative Johnson.
First chamber recommendation below:
Expanding access to opioid antagonists empowers citizens to address an urgent situation if they have reason to believe a person has overdosed or is in danger of overdosing on opioids. We support SB 1462 because it promotes personal responsibility, individual liberty, and limited government.