BILL NUMBER: S9926
SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to allowing advanced
emergency medical technicians to order certain controlled substances for
use by a person with a substance use disorder to relieve acute with-
drawal symptoms
 
PURPOSE:
Allows paramedics to administer controlled substances when responding to
a person who has acute withdrawal symptoms.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivision 2 of section 3351 of the public health
law to allow advanced emergency medical technicians to administer
controlled substances to relieve acute withdrawal symptoms in those who
are dealing with a substance use disorder.
Section two establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Patients with opioid use disorder who have overdosed and require nalox-
one reversal are at increased risk for recurrent overdose and death and
also present an opportunity for intervention. Buprenorphine, a partial
opioid antagonist, provides some relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms.
It is safe and effective for paramedic administration. A pilot project
in California came to the conclusion that EMS administered buprenorphine
is possible, safe, and results in significant retention in care at 30
days. Prehospital initiation of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use
disorder (OUD) by paramedics is an emerging potential intervention to
reach the patients at greatest risk for opioid- related deaths. Emergen-
cy medical services (EMS) patients who are at high risk for overdose
deaths may never engage in treatment as they frequently decline trans-
port to the hospital after naloxone reversal. Not only is there a high
level of stigma in treating these patients, but also there is a lack of
training and education among EMS personnel about the acute treatments
for OUD in the emergency department. Strong evidence suggests that the
initiation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is the single
most effective intervention to prevent overdose deaths in patients with
OUD and that increasing access to medication should be a national public
health priority.(from H. Gene Hem, Vanessa Lara, David Goldstein, M.
Kalmin, S. Kidane, S. Shoptaw, Ori Tzvieli & Andrew A. Herring (2023)
Prehospital Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder by Paramed-
ics: First Year Results of the EMS Buprenorphine Use Pilot, Prehospital
Emergency Care, 27:3, 334-342, D 01:10.1080/10903127.2022,2061661)
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S9926: 3351 public health law, 3351(2) public health law