H.B. 119

             1     

OPIATE OVERDOSE EMERGENCY TREATMENT

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss

             5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill creates the Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    permits the dispensing and administration of an opiate antagonist to a person who is
             14      reasonably believed to be experiencing an opiate-related drug overdose event;
             15          .    establishes immunity for the good faith administration of an opiate antagonist;
             16          .    clarifies that the administration of an opiate antagonist is voluntary and that the act
             17      does not establish a duty to administer an opiate antagonist;
             18          .    clarifies that it is not unlawful or unprofessional conduct for certain health
             19      professionals to prescribe an opiate antagonist to:
             20              .    a person at increased risk of experiencing an opiate-related drug overdose event;
             21      or
             22              .    a family member, friend, or other person in a position to assist a person who is
             23      at increased risk of experiencing an opiate-related drug overdose; and
             24          .    requires a person who prescribes or dispenses an opiate antagonist to advise a
             25      person to seek a medical evaluation after experiencing a drug overdose and taking
             26      an opiate antagonist.
             27      Money Appropriated in this Bill:


             28          None
             29      Other Special Clauses:
             30          None
             31      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             32      ENACTS:
             33           26-55-101 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             34           26-55-102 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             35           26-55-103 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             36           26-55-104 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             37           58-17b-507 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             38           58-31b-703 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             39           58-67-702 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40           58-68-702 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             41           58-70a-505 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             42     
             43      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             44          Section 1. Section 26-55-101 is enacted to read:
             45     
CHAPTER 55. EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF OPIATE ANTAGONIST ACT

             46          26-55-101. Title.
             47          This chapter is known as the "Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act."
             48          Section 2. Section 26-55-102 is enacted to read:
             49          26-55-102. Definitions.
             50          As used in this chapter:
             51          (1) "Health care facility" means a hospital, a hospice inpatient residence, a nursing
             52      facility, a dialysis treatment facility, an assisted living residence, an entity that provides home-
             53      and community-based services, a hospice or home health care agency, or another facility that
             54      provides or contracts to provide health care services, which facility is licensed under Chapter
             55      21, Health Care Facility Licensing and Inspection Act.
             56          (2) "Health care provider" means:
             57          (a) a physician as defined in Section 58-67-102 ;
             58          (b) an advanced practice registered nurse as defined in Subsection 58-31b-102 (13); or


             59          (c) a physician assistant as defined in Section 58-70a-102 .
             60          (3) "Opiate" is as defined in Section 58-37-2 .
             61          (4) "Opiate antagonist" means naloxone hydrochloride or any similarly acting drug that
             62      is not a controlled substance and that is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration
             63      for the treatment of a drug overdose.
             64          (5) "Opiate-related drug overdose event" means an acute condition, including a
             65      decreased level of consciousness or respiratory depression resulting from the consumption or
             66      use of a controlled substance, or another substance with which a controlled substance was
             67      combined, and that a person would reasonably believe to be an opiate-related drug overdose
             68      event that requires medical assistance.
             69          Section 3. Section 26-55-103 is enacted to read:
             70          26-55-103. Voluntary participation.
             71          This chapter does not create a duty or standard of care for a person to prescribe or
             72      administer an opiate antagonist.
             73          Section 4. Section 26-55-104 is enacted to read:
             74          26-55-104. Authority to obtain and use an emergency opiate antagonist --
             75      Immunity from liability.
             76          (1) A person other than a health care facility or health care provider who acts in good
             77      faith to administer an opiate antagonist to another person whom the person believes to be
             78      suffering an opiate-related drug overdose event is not liable for any civil damages or acts or
             79      omissions made as a result of administering the opiate antagonist.
             80          (2) A person who is licensed to prescribe or dispense an opiate antagonist is not liable
             81      for any civil damages resulting from prescribing or dispensing an opiate antagonist in good
             82      faith to:
             83          (a) an individual who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience
             84      an opiate-related drug overdose event; or
             85          (b) a family member, friend, or other person who is in a position to assist the individual
             86      who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related drug
             87      overdose event.
             88          (3) A person who prescribes or dispenses an opiate antagonist shall provide education
             89      to the individual described in Subsection (2)(a) or (b) that includes instructions to take the


             90      person who received the opiate antagonist to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
             91          Section 5. Section 58-17b-507 is enacted to read:
             92          58-17b-507. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             93          (1) A person licensed under this chapter who dispenses an opiate antagonist as defined
             94      in Section 26-55-102 to an individual with a prescription for an opiate antagonist is not liable
             95      for any civil damages resulting from the outcomes that result from the eventual administration
             96      of the opiate antagonist to a person who another person believes is suffering an opiate-related
             97      drug overdose as defined in Section 26-55-102 .
             98          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             99      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             100          (3) It is not unprofessional conduct or unlawful conduct for a licensee under this
             101      chapter to dispense an opiate antagonist to a person on behalf of another person if the person
             102      obtaining the opiate antagonist has a prescription for the opiate antagonist from a licensed
             103      prescriber.
             104          Section 6. Section 58-31b-703 is enacted to read:
             105          58-31b-703. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             106          (1) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             107      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             108      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             109          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             110      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             111          (b) a family member, friend, or other person who is in a position to assist a person who
             112      is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related drug
             113      overdose event.
             114          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             115      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             116          Section 7. Section 58-67-702 is enacted to read:
             117          58-67-702. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             118          (1) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             119      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             120      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:


             121          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             122      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             123          (b) a family member, friend, or other person who is in a position to assist a person who
             124      is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related drug
             125      overdose event.
             126          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             127      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             128          Section 8. Section 58-68-702 is enacted to read:
             129          58-68-702. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             130          (1) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             131      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             132      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             133          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             134      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             135          (b) a family member, friend, or other person who is in a position to assist a person who
             136      is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related drug
             137      overdose event.
             138          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             139      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             140          Section 9. Section 58-70a-505 is enacted to read:
             141          58-70a-505. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             142          (1) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             143      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             144      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             145          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             146      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             147          (b) a family member, friend, or other person who is in a position to assist a person who
             148      is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related drug
             149      overdose event.
             150          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             151      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.






Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-6-14 8:21 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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