Gov. Dannel Malloy signs law increasing state’s anti-opioid abuse efforts

Gov. Dannel Malloy has signed into law legislation designed to further the state”™s efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Public Act 17-131, “An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse,” was introduced by Malloy earlier this year and developed in cooperation with a number of lawmakers.

Among its provisions, the law:

• Increases data sharing between state agencies regarding opioid abuse and opioid overdose deaths;
• Facilitates the destruction of unused prescription medication by utilizing registered nurses employed for home health care agencies;
• Increases security of controlled substances prescriptions by requiring certain scheduled drugs be electronically prescribed;
• Allows patients to file a voluntary non-opioid form in their medical records indicating that they do not want to be prescribed or administered opioid drugs;
• Expands requirements about information regarding provider communications about of the risk and signs of addiction, and the dangers of drug interactions to cover all opioid prescriptions ”“ the current law covers only minors;
• Reduces the maximum opioid drug prescription for minors from seven days to five days;
• Requires the Department of Public Health to put information online about how prescribers can obtain certification for suboxone and other medicines to treat opioid use disorder;
• Requires individual and group health insurers to cover medically necessary detox treatment, as defined by American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria; and
• Requires alcohol and drug treatment facilities use ASAM criteria for admission guidelines.