First Substitute H.B. 119

Representative Carol Spackman Moss proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
OPIATE OVERDOSE EMERGENCY TREATMENT

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Brian E. Shiozawa

             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 require medical assistance.
             68          Section 3. Section 26-55-103 is enacted to read:
             69          26-55-103. Voluntary participation.
             70          This chapter does not create a duty or standard of care for a person to prescribe or
             71      administer an opiate antagonist.
             72          Section 4. Section 26-55-104 is enacted to read:
             73          26-55-104. Authority to obtain and use an emergency opiate antagonist --
             74      Immunity from liability.
             75          (1) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), a person other than a health care
             76      facility or health care provider who acts in good faith to administer an opiate antagonist to
             77      another person whom the person believes to be suffering an opiate-related drug overdose event
             78      is not liable for any civil damages or acts or omissions made as a result of administering the
             79      opiate antagonist.
             80          (b) A health care provider:
             81          (i) does not have immunity from liability under Subsection (1)(a) when the health care
             82      provider is acting within the scope of the health care provider's responsibilities or duty of care;
             83      and
             84          (ii) does have immunity from liability under Subsection (1)(a) if the health care
             85      provider is under no legal duty to respond and otherwise complies with Subsection (1)(a).
             86          (2) Notwithstanding Sections 58-1-501 , 58-17b-501 , and 58-17b-502 , a health care
             87      provider who is licensed to prescribe or dispense an opiate antagonist may, without a


             88      prescriber-patient relationship, prescribe or dispense an opiate antagonist without liability for
             89      any civil damages or acts or omissions made as a result of prescribing or dispensing an opiate
             90      antagonist in good faith, to:
             91          (a) an individual who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience
             92      an opiate-related drug overdose event; or
             93          (b) a family member of, friend of, or other person who may be in a position to assist an
             94      individual who may be at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             95      opiate-related drug overdose event.
             96          (3) A person who prescribes or dispenses an opiate antagonist shall provide education
             97      to the individual described in Subsection (2)(a) or (b) that includes instructions to take the
             98      person who received the opiate antagonist to an emergency care facility for a medical
             99      evaluation.
             100          Section 5. Section 58-17b-507 is enacted to read:
             101          58-17b-507. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             102          (1) A person licensed under this chapter who dispenses an opiate antagonist as defined
             103      in Section 26-55-102 to an individual with a prescription for an opiate antagonist is not liable
             104      for any civil damages resulting from the outcomes that result from the eventual administration
             105      of the opiate antagonist to a person who another person believes is suffering an opiate-related
             106      drug overdose as defined in Section 26-55-102 .
             107          (2) The provisions of this section do not establish a duty or standard of care in the
             108      prescribing, dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             109          (3) It is not unprofessional conduct or unlawful conduct for a licensee under this
             110      chapter to dispense an opiate antagonist to a person on behalf of another person if the person
             111      obtaining the opiate antagonist has a prescription for the opiate antagonist from a licensed
             112      prescriber.
             113          Section 6. Section 58-31b-703 is enacted to read:
             114          58-31b-703. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             115          (1) Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act, applies
             116      to a licensee under this chapter.
             117          (2) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             118      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the


             119      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             120          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             121      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             122          (b) a family member of, friend of, or other person who is in a position to assist a person
             123      who may be at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related
             124      drug overdose event.
             125          (3) The provisions of this section and Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration
             126      of Opiate Antagonist Act, do not establish a duty or standard of care in the prescribing,
             127      dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             128          Section 7. Section 58-67-702 is enacted to read:
             129          58-67-702. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             130          (1) Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act, applies
             131      to a licensee under this chapter.
             132          (2) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             133      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             134      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             135          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             136      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             137          (b) a family member of, friend of, or other person who is in a position to assist a person
             138      who may be at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related
             139      drug overdose event.
             140          (3) The provisions of this section and Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration
             141      of Opiate Antagonist Act, do not establish a duty or standard of care in the prescribing,
             142      dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             143          Section 8. Section 58-68-702 is enacted to read:
             144          58-68-702. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             145          (1) Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act, applies
             146      to a licensee under this chapter.
             147          (2) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             148      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             149      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:


             150          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             151      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             152          (b) a family member of, friend of, or other person who is in a position to assist a person
             153      who may be at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related
             154      drug overdose event.
             155          (3) The provisions of this section and Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration
             156      of Opiate Antagonist Act, do not establish a duty or standard of care in the prescribing,
             157      dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.
             158          Section 9. Section 58-70a-505 is enacted to read:
             159          58-70a-505. Opiate antagonist -- Immunity from liability.
             160          (1) Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act, applies
             161      to a licensee under this chapter.
             162          (2) The prescribing or dispensing of an opiate antagonist as defined in Section
             163      26-55-102 by a licensee under this chapter is not unprofessional or unlawful conduct if the
             164      licensee prescribed or dispensed the opiate antagonist in a good faith effort to assist:
             165          (a) a person who is at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an
             166      opiate-related drug overdose event as defined in Section 26-55-102 ; or
             167          (b) a family member of, friend of, or other person who is in a position to assist a person
             168      who may be at increased risk of experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiate-related
             169      drug overdose event.
             170          (3) The provisions of this section and Title 26, Chapter 55, Emergency Administration
             171      of Opiate Antagonist Act, do not establish a duty or standard of care in the prescribing,
             172      dispensing, or administration of an opiate antagonist.


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