(BOSTON 8/1/2024) – This week, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation expanding support for residents coping with substance use disorder to stem the toll of an opioid crisis that takes thousands of lives each year.
S.2898, An Act relative to accessing harm reduction initiatives, enables cities and towns to establish a wide range of measures proven to reduce the harms of drug use, including needle exchange programs, drug screenings, and overdose prevention facilities. It makes strides in studying sober home oversight and resources to support those in recovery, and widely expands access to overdose reversal drugs like naloxone.
“The opioid crisis has left nowhere in America untouched, and communities in Massachusetts have been no exception. This bill will help us save the lives of individuals who suffer from a substance use disorder and help us get them on a path to recovery,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “Harm reduction is certainly not a perfect solution, but the provisions included in this legislation will give us more opportunities to address the root causes of addiction and reduce the devastating toll overdoses have on families across the Bay State. This bill also give cities and towns the flexibility to implement the solutions that will work for their own unique situations – something I’ve supported throughout this process. I am hopeful that we can continue our work in the Legislature to make overdose deaths a thing of the past.”
The bill allows cities and towns to opt in to a number of new harm reduction programs. Those programs include:
Needle exchange programs
Primary care services, including disease prevention and health screenings
Access to, or referrals for, evidence-based treatment options
Drug testing services
Overdose reversal care
Supervision of individuals who consume pre-obtained substances
Programs that provide overdose reversal care and supervision of individuals who consume pre-obtained substances would require approval by the local board of health, select board or city council, and the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Participants and administrators of harm reduction programs would be granted limited liability protections.
To further support individuals in recovery, the Senate’s bill mandates DPH to conduct a study on sober homes in the Commonwealth, focusing on the safety and recovery of sober home residents. The study would examine and make recommendations for improving training for operators and staff, creating safe recovery environments, overseeing sober homes, and creating licensure programs for counselors and recovery coaches.
The bill creates licensure programs for alcohol and drug counselors and recovery coaches, which would be administered by DPH. Additionally, it requires the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services to study and report on barriers to certification, credentialing, and other employment and practice requirements for recovery coaches.
To increase and expand access to opioid reversal treatments like Narcan, the bill would:
Require health insurance plans to cover opioid overdose reversal drugs without cost-sharing or prior authorization.
Mandate pharmacies in areas with high incidences of overdose to maintain a continuous supply of opioid overdose reversal drugs and notify DPH if the supply is insufficient.
Require substance use disorder treatment facilities to educate on and dispense at least two doses of opioid overdose reversal drugs to individuals upon discharge.
Mandate hospitals to educate on and prescribe or dispense at least two doses of opioid overdose reversal drugs to individuals with a history of opioid use or opioid use disorder upon discharge.
A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills, before sending a final version to the Governor’s desk.
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