Authorizing Schools to Stock and Administer Opioid Overdose Antidotes

AB 1748: Authorizing Schools to Stock and Administer Opioid Overdose Antidotes SUMMARY

PROBLEM

Assembly Bill 1748 would authorize California schools to stock, and trained employees to administer, opioid overdose antidotes, and would authorize pharmacies to provide the medication to schools. It would not require schools to do so.

There is no clear statutory authority for schools to accept, stock, or administer opioid overdose antidotes. This medication, which could potentially save lives, should be available to schools that choose to stock it.

Recently, Adapt Pharma and the Clinton Foundation announced a plan to provide every high school with needle-free naloxone at no cost. The medication can successfully counteract overdoses.

SOLUTION

BACKGROUND According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of deaths resulting from opioid overdoses has been steadily increasing over the past decade, and now exceeds the number of deaths resulting from automobile accidents. Naloxone (sold under the brand name Narcan) is a medication that can block the effects of opioids, particularly during overdose. In November 2015, the FDA approved an easy-to-use form of the drug, administered by nasal spray. In January 2016, Adapt Pharma, the manufacturer of Narcan, announced a collaborative plan with the Clinton Health Matters Initiative to make the medication available to all high schools in the U.S. AB 559 (Wiggins, 2001) authorized schools to receive, stock, and administer epinephrine, and allowed pharmacies to provide the medication to schools. SB 1438 (Pavley, 2014) equipped firefighters, police officers and other first responders with naloxone.

AB 1748 is modeled after existing law regarding “EpiPens,” but does not provide any mandates on schools. This bill would:  Authorize pharmacies to provide naloxone to schools.  Authorize schools to stock naloxone.  Allow school nurses, and other employees who have volunteered and received training, to administer naloxone to someone suffering an overdose.  Require that schools that opt-in provide defense and indemnification for trained employees acting under the section.  Provide that an employee acting in good faith is exempt from professional review, or civil or criminal liability. This bill will provide schools with the authority to stock and administer this crucial medication, potentially saving the lives of Californians.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Joshua White (916) 319-2042 [email protected]