Heroin, Opioid Abuse Targeted By Gwinnett Lawmaker's Bill

BUFORD, GA — A bill sponsored by a Gwinnett County lawmaker that targets heroin and opioid abuse is making its way through the state legislature.

Senate Bill 81, by Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, unanimously passed the state Senate on Wednesday.

"Opioid abuse and heroin overdoses are an epidemic that must be addressed in this state and around the nation," Unterman said in a news release. "It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to curb the growth of this epidemic.

"Although SB 81 isn’t a one stop cure for this epidemic, I believe that it is a step in the right direction to save lives and address an issue that affects so many of our citizens."

The first section of the bill would let pharmacists prescribe Naloxone — which is commonly used by law enforcement to counteract the effects of a heroin overdose — to individuals.

The second section is designed to crack down on people who "doctor shop" to get multiple prescriptions of the same drug. It would require prescribers and dispensers to use a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program every 24 hours instead of weekly, as current law requires.

The idea is that this would let doctors and pharmacists know more quickly if a patient had recently gotten a drug like OxyContin or Vicodin somewhere else.

An earlier provision of Unterman's bill which, as worded, would have required people on ADHD medications to get a new prescription every five days has been removed.

Under the bill, doctors or pharmacists that don't use the monitoring program would be referred to the Georgia Composite Medical Board. Under an earlier version of the bill, they would have faced possible felony or misdemeanor charges.

The bill now goes to the state House for consideration.

Photo courtesy Georgia State Senate