Guilford Lawmaker Scanlon Praises House Passage of Prescription Abuse Bill

State Rep. Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford, Branford) applauded the House of Representatives for approving legislation he co-sponsored that would help prevent prescription- drug abuse and opioid overdoses.

“We have an epidemic of heroin and substance abuse overdoses, and it is growing out of control in both urban and suburban areas in Connecticut,” said Scanlon, a member of the legislature’s Public Health Committee. “This comprehensive legislation attacks the problem on several fronts.”

House Bill 6856, An Act Concerning Substance Abuse and Opioid Overdose Prevention, now goes to the Senate for consideration.

“Heroin and prescription opioid overdoses have become a daily occurrence,” Scanlon said Monday. “The problem has become a public health crisis that requires aggressive action by the state, and this legislation addresses the epidemic head-on.”

Between 2009 and 2014, there were over 2,000 accidental and unintentional opioid involved deaths that occurred in 150 of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns. Nationwide, 18- to 24-year-olds are more likely to die from drug overdoses, primarily from prescription pain relievers, than from motor vehicle accidents.

The legislation:

· Requires practitioners, before prescribing greater than a 72-hour supply of any controlled substance, to check the patient’s record in the prescription drug monitoring program
· Requires practitioners to review the patient’s record at least every 90 days if prescribing for prolonged treatment

· Requires pharmacists, starting in July 2016, to immediately report to the monitoring program on prescriptions they fill, rather than at least weekly, and requires the reporting to be done electronically
· Makes other changes to the prescription drug monitoring program, including exempting opioid agonists in certain situations

· Requires physicians, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), dentists and physician assistants to take continuing education in prescribing controlled substances and pain management

Cutline: Rep. Sean Scanlon talks about House Bill 6856, An Act Concerning Substance Abuse and Opioid Overdose Prevention, in the chamber of the House of Representatives.