Rep. Delnicki Applauds the Passage of a New Opioid Bill

HARTFORD – State Representative Tom Delnicki (R-14) attended a bill signing of Public Act 17-131, An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse at the Hartford Public Library on Thursday, August 31, 2017. Joining him were many legislative colleagues, local officials and advocates, who all stood in support of the legislation that seeks to curb the growing opioid crisis in Connecticut.

This ceremonial bill signing took place as the state took part in “International Overdose Awareness Day”.

From January 1, 2015 through August 2, 2016, Connecticut recorded 800 deaths due to overdose. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives unanimously expands upon legislation passed in 2016 and 2015, and includes some of the following aspects:

• Instructs the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council to convene a working group to study substance abuse treatment referral programs that have been established by municipal police departments to refer persons with an opioid use disorder or who are seeking recovery from drug addiction to substance abuse treatment facilities;
• Reduces the maximum opioid drug prescription for minors from 7 days to 5 days and maintains current law that allows a prescribing practitioner to exceed the limit for chronic pain, palliative care or acute pain if necessary as long as it is documented in the medical record
• Requires individual and group health insurers to cover medically necessary detox treatment, as defined by American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) so that those looking for help cannot be turned away due to insurance issues;
• Increases data sharing between state agencies regarding opioid abuse or opioid overdose deaths;
• Increases security of controlled substances prescriptions by requiring 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.

“The opioid crisis is not a city problem; it’s not a suburb problem. The opioid crisis is not a problem that only affects low income families and individuals in need, and it’s not a problem that affects only the rich. Addiction has the potential to impact all of us. This bill is a step in the right direction to try to get this crisis under control. I don’t believe this to be the last piece of legislation on this issue, as we will likely have to revisit this topic as the issue evolves, but this is a good first step,” said State Representative Tom Delnicki.

Connecticut is expected to see more than 1,000 accidental drug-related deaths in 2017.