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On March 14, Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation aimed at providing education, prevention and treatment options to combat the growing opioid abuse epidemic in Massachusetts.
The legislation, passed unanimously by the House and Senate, puts the state at the forefront of fighting a national public health crisis.
Under the new law, medical practitioners may not prescribe more than a seven-day supply of an opioid prescription to a first-time user. Medical reasons for extending a prescription beyond seven days must be properly documented, and the physician must abide by a pain management treatment plan with the patient if a long-term course of pain medication is warranted.
Patients may now use their discretion to fill less of an opioid prescription than ordered by their doctor, and the remaining quantity will be voided.
A central provision of the bill is a required substance abuse evaluation prior to discharge if a patient is admitted to the emergency room due to an apparent overdose. The assessment would consider factors such as history of alcohol and drug use, responses to previous treatments if applicable, and a mental-health evaluation. The patient may use this assessment to then consent to further treatment.
The legislation requires all public schools to have updated substance abuse policies, and charges the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with assisting schools with developing and implementing substance abuse education policies.
Schools are required to use a verbal screening tool at two different grade levels to screen students for substance abuse disorders. Parents are informed prior to the screenings and may choose to have their child opt out. The results, minus identifying information, are to be provided to the Department of Public Health.
Officials at the DESE indicate that they are still reviewing the requirements of the new law and are not yet sure when they’ll have guidance available to school districts.
The law also:
• Provides legal protection for individuals administering naloxone or other overdose prevention drugs in an effort to save someone’s life
• Requires the Health Policy Commission and Department of Public Health to evaluate the availability of providers in the Commonwealth to serve patients with both substance abuse and mental health diagnoses
• Creates a Drug Stewardship Program to safely dispose of unwanted drugs
In Massachusetts alone, opioid abuse claimed an estimated 1,200 lives in 2014 (complete data are not yet available for 2015), accounting for more than half of all deaths among 25- to 44-year-olds, according to the Department of Public Health. In 2014, the epidemic caused more deaths than car accidents and gun violence combined. Nearly three-quarters of communities that responded to an MMA survey last year indicated they had lost a resident to a fatal overdose.
The MMA is continuing to work with the administration and Legislature as cities and towns across Massachusetts tackle this important issue. “An Obligation to Lead,” the report of the MMA’s Municipal Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force, includes recommendations for partnering with the state.
• Download the MMA task force report
Written by MMA Senior Legislative Analyst Katie S. McCue