The legislature finds that Washington has made great strides in recent years to address the opioid crisis in our state. However, there continues to be too many deaths from opioid overdose in communities across the state. The use of opioid antagonists such as naloxone reverses the effects of opioids and can be lifesaving when an opioid overdose occurs.
The legislature intends to provide naloxone prescriptions to persons who present in an emergency department with an opioid overdose, along with a referral to services from a substance use disorder peer specialist. The legislature intends that this change will increase the number of opioid prescribed patients who have access to a lifesaving overdose intervention in the event of an emergency, with the goal of reducing the likelihood that an opioid overdose event for a given patient may lead to fatality or long-term adverse health outcomes and the likelihood of patients and their families will face long-term financial and emotional burdens due to an opioid overdose event.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 69.41. Here is the modified chapter for context.
A practitioner shall provide a current prescription or confirm the patient has a current prescription for an opioid overdose reversal medication when the patient presents in an emergency department with an opioid overdose or is referred for involuntary treatment under chapter 71.05 RCW and has had a recent opioid overdose.
A practitioner who provides a prescription under subsection (1) of this section shall refer the patient to the services of a substance use disorder peer specialist.
The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Opioid overdose reversal medication" means any drug used to reverse an opioid overdose that binds to opioid receptors and blocks or inhibits the effects of opioids acting on those receptors.
"Practitioner" has the meaning provided in RCW 69.50.101.