Del. wants paramedics to dispense naloxone
“It is not uncommon for a paramedic to go to a house two or three or four times a week,” Kipke said. “There are countless stories especially parents with adult children having overdoses in their houses.”
The bill would allow paramedics to give doses of the drug naloxone to someone who might overdose in the future, or to a person associated with someone who might overdose. Currently, paramedics can administer naloxone — but can’t dispense it to others.
Kipke said the naloxone kit has training information to guide administering the medicine.
If the bill makes it out of committee and passes the House, it would go to the Senate’s Rules Committee.
The measure received a small bit of scrutiny, with delegates raising questions about cost. A fiscal note attached to the bill estimated the cost would fluctuate based on need with agencies increasing the stock of naloxone. An entity associated with paramedics would pay for the naloxone, Kipke said.
In other business, the committee heard another of Kipke’s opioid bills Tuesday.
House Bill 1716 would allow data from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to be given to insurance carriers. This would allow the carriers to determine “medical necessity” of drug claims as well as coordinate patient care, according to the legislation.
Del. Terri Hill had concerns about a “big brother” effect from the bill. She argued some patients may withhold information from an insurance carrier because they don’t want the carrier to know.
“If I have a procedure done, they could get access to information I may not want them to have,” Hill said. “The majority of people on controlled substances aren’t addicts.”
Kipke disagreed, saying the benefits of the bill would outweigh the carriers learning that information.
Kipke supports legislation expanding access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, but lobbyists affiliated with medical professionals have resisted the changes. They argue too much access to the data could make it harder for lawabiding doctors to prescribe medication without fear of police involvement.
Supporters of expanding data argue law-abiding doctors shouldn’t have anything to worry about while information could be used to track doctors who over-prescribe medication. ccook@capgaznews.com
The bill would allow paramedics to give doses of the drug naloxone to someone who might overdose in the future, or to a person associated with someone who might overdose. Currently, paramedics can administer naloxone — but can’t dispense it to others.
Kipke said the naloxone kit has training information to guide administering the medicine.
If the bill makes it out of committee and passes the House, it would go to the Senate’s Rules Committee.
The measure received a small bit of scrutiny, with delegates raising questions about cost. A fiscal note attached to the bill estimated the cost would fluctuate based on need with agencies increasing the stock of naloxone. An entity associated with paramedics would pay for the naloxone, Kipke said.
In other business, the committee heard another of Kipke’s opioid bills Tuesday.
House Bill 1716 would allow data from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to be given to insurance carriers. This would allow the carriers to determine “medical necessity” of drug claims as well as coordinate patient care, according to the legislation.
Del. Terri Hill had concerns about a “big brother” effect from the bill. She argued some patients may withhold information from an insurance carrier because they don’t want the carrier to know.
“If I have a procedure done, they could get access to information I may not want them to have,” Hill said. “The majority of people on controlled substances aren’t addicts.”
Kipke disagreed, saying the benefits of the bill would outweigh the carriers learning that information.
Kipke supports legislation expanding access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, but lobbyists affiliated with medical professionals have resisted the changes. They argue too much access to the data could make it harder for lawabiding doctors to prescribe medication without fear of police involvement.
Supporters of expanding data argue law-abiding doctors shouldn’t have anything to worry about while information could be used to track doctors who over-prescribe medication. ccook@capgaznews.com
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