Massachusetts Senate Poised to Pass Opioid Abuse Prevention Package

By Alison Bauter and Susan Petroni.

BOSTON, MA - The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Wednesday, that provides educators, doctors and patients with new tools to combat rising rates of addiction and death related to prescription painkillers in Massachusetts.

Urged on by Gov. Charlie Baker, the bill has been working its way through the Legislature since last fall.

It passed the House Wednesday, March 9, after a joint committee pieced together proposals from the governor's office, House and Senate.

In a statement, Baker's office called the bill a "step in the right direction" and repeated a troubling statistic — that nearly four people per day die as a result of Massachusetts' opioid and heroin epidemic. The bill axes one of Baker's original provisions, which would let doctors commit patients involuntarily to drug treatment facilities on a temporary basis if they’re considered to be in imminent danger, the Boston Herald reports.

Baker tweeted out his support later that evening: "Looking fwd to its imminent passage by@ma_senate. The bill contains many important provisions, esp limits on highly addictive painkillers."

"Passage of this bill will be a significant step in our collective efforts to turn the tide of this devastating opioid epidemic, the toll of which I see first hand every day," said Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

"Prescription painkillers are claiming the lives of too many people here in Massachusetts and across the country. I thank the Governor, the Legislature and the many stakeholders we’ve worked with over the last year for their collective efforts to get a law on the books that will save lives," said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.

"This bill will make a significant difference in how we as a society treat opioid painkillers," said the state's attorney general.

Among other things, the bill requires prescribers to check the prescription monitoring program each time they prescribe a narcotic, sets a one-week limit on first-time opioid prescriptions, and gives patients the ability to limit the number of pills they receive.

The bill also includes important provisions aimed at informing young people, parents, and patients about the risks of opioid use and misuse, which will help prevent tragedies in the future.

"This bill has the ability to make a profound impact on people’s lives, engaging the entire healthcare ecosystem - from providers to pharmaceutical companies to insurance companies - to aid in education and prevention," wrote Framingham State Sen. Karen Spilka on her official Facebook page. "Thank you to all of the individuals, families and advocates who came forward to share your stories and bring awareness to ways we can reduce the risk of addiction. This bill takes a holistic approach to stop this crisis impacting all of our communities."

"This comprehensive legislation provides a roadmap for addressing the crisis through education, treatment and increased prescriber responsibility. Data has now shown that 80 percent of those who turn to heroin begin with prescription painkillers, which is why I am pleased this legislation will set a seven-day limit for first time prescriptions. I am also encouraged to see the legislation codifies mandatory prescriber education in effective pain management, the risk of abuse associated with these medications and identification of patients at risk for substance use disorders. These key provisions serve to highlight the response to this crisis requires not only the work of public safety officials, but of public health officials as well," said Sheriff Koutoujian. "The multi-pronged approach laid out in this legislation will assist those already battling the terrible disease of addiction, while laying the foundation for prevention and continued long-term educational, medical, public health and public safety communities."

The compromise legislation passed unanimously Wednesday, and now goes to the Senate.

From there the bill will likely move quickly to Gov. Baker's desk, possibly as early as this week.