Case Hails Passage of Opioid Overdose Prevention Legislation

Hartford – State Representative Jay Case (R-63) addressed the House of Representative on Wednesday, May 31, during consideration of HB 7052: An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse. In his remarks, Case explained the importance of tightening opioid regulation and providing education associated with the risks of taking opioid medication.

“In my district, six people have lost their lives as a result of overdoses related to the abuse and misuse of opioids in the Month of May alone, which exemplifies how imperative this legislation is. So many families and individuals have been effected by this crisis, we need to take a proactive approach and educate the general public of how dangerous some opioid-related medications can become,” explained Rep. Case who is a co-sponsor to the bill.

The bill requires that prescriptions for controlled substances be electronically transmitted to a pharmacy. This will decrease the possibility or chance of prescriptions being filled more than necessary. Further, the measure limits the initial supply of opioid medication to 5 days.

Rep. Case said, “It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to educate yourself on this subject. In order to prevent further incidences, we must try and reverse negative stigma to those affected. The more patients are aware of risks up front, and provided explicit instructions of proper use, there will ultimately be less overdoses.”

The bill creates a process for patient to request their physician not to prescribe opioids to them for treatment. Additionally, practitioners must now speak with patients about the use and risks of taking opioid medication.

The bill garnered unanimous support when it went to a vote in the House. It now awaits further action in the Senate, where it must be acted upon before Wednesday, June 7th, to become law.

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