For prevention and access to appropriate care and treatment of addiction

What it means

The House-passed bill on opioid and other substance use disorders. It requires electronic prescriptions for controlled substances starting January 1, 2020 (with limited exceptions), has the state issue a statewide standing order so any pharmacist can dispense naloxone or similar overdose-reversal drugs, lets patients get partial fills of Schedule II opioids without extra cost-sharing, and expands use of the prescription monitoring program. Hospital emergency departments must be able to offer opioid agonist treatment (medication for opioid addiction) after an overdose and connect patients to further care. It sets up a 2-year pilot in six state prisons to provide medication-assisted treatment, creates a remote substance use consultation program for primary care providers, a Center for Police Training in Crisis Intervention, and a trust fund for youth behavioral health prevention grants, and changes licensing rules for addiction and mental health treatment facilities. It also creates several study commissions (including on recovery coaching, non-opioid pain treatment, medication-assisted treatment, involuntary treatment, and naloxone access) and removes an age-18 limit from section 27 of the state controlled substances law (chapter 94C).

Source: official text and history of H.4742 on malegislature.gov. This describes the bill text posted there; amendments may have changed the version that was voted on.