Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Permits emergency medical responders to dispense opioid antidotes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning opioid antidotes and amending P.L.2013, c.46.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 4 of P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-4) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. (1) A prescriber or other health care practitioner, as appropriate, may prescribe or dispense an opioid antidote:
(a) directly or through a standing order, to any recipient who is deemed by the health care practitioner to be capable of administering the opioid antidote to an overdose victim in an emergency;
(b) through a standing order, to any professional or emergency medical responder who is not acting in a professional or volunteer capacity for a professional entity, or an emergency medical response entity, but who is deemed by the health care practitioner to be capable of administering opioid antidotes to overdose victims, as part of the professional's regular course of business or volunteer activities;
(c) through a standing order, to any professional who is not acting in a professional or volunteer capacity for a professional entity, but who is deemed by the health care practitioner to be capable of dispensing opioid antidotes to recipients, for administration thereby, as part of the professional's regular course of business or volunteer activities;
(d) through a standing order, to any professional entity or any emergency medical response entity, which is deemed by the health care practitioner to employ professionals or emergency medical responders, as appropriate, who are capable of administering opioid antidotes to overdose victims as part of the entity's regular course of business or volunteer activities;
(e) through a standing order, to any professional entity which is deemed by the health care practitioner to employ professionals who are capable of dispensing opioid antidotes to recipients, for administration thereby, as part of the entity's regular course of business or volunteer activities;
(f) through a standing order, to a school, school district, or school nurse pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of P.L.2018, c.106 (C.18A:40-12.24); and
(g) through a standing order, to any emergency medical response entity, which is deemed by the health care practitioner to employ professionals or emergency medical responders, as appropriate, who are capable of dispensing opioid antidotes to recipients, for administration thereby, as part of the entity's regular course of business or volunteer activities.
(2) (a) For the purposes of this subsection, whenever the law expressly authorizes or requires a certain type of professional or professional entity to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes pursuant to this section, such professional, or the professionals employed or engaged by such professional entity, as the case may be, shall be presumed by the prescribing or dispensing health care practitioner to be capable of administering or dispensing the opioid antidote, consistent with the express statutory requirement.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection, whenever the law expressly requires a certain type of emergency medical responder or emergency medical response entity to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes pursuant to this section, such emergency medical responder, or the emergency medical responders employed or engaged by such emergency medical response entity, as the case may be, shall be presumed by the prescribing or dispensing health care practitioner to be capable of administering or dispensing the opioid antidote, consistent with the express statutory requirement.
(c) For the purposes of this subsection, whenever the law expressly authorizes or requires a school or school district to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes pursuant to this section, the school nurses employed or engaged by the school or school district shall be presumed by the prescribing or dispensing health care practitioner to be capable of administering the opioid antidote, consistent with the express statutory requirement.
(3) (a) Whenever a prescriber or other health care practitioner prescribes or dispenses an opioid antidote to a professional or professional entity pursuant to a standing order issued under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the standing order shall specify whether the professional or professional entity is authorized thereby to directly administer the opioid antidote to overdose victims; to dispense the opioid antidote to recipients, for their administration to third parties; or to both administer and dispense the opioid antidote. If a standing order does not include a specification in this regard, it shall be deemed to authorize the professional or professional entity only to administer the opioid antidote with immunity, as provided by subsection c. of this section, and it shall not be deemed to authorize the professional or professional entity to engage in the further dispensing of the antidote to recipients, unless such authority has been granted by law, as provided by subparagraph (b) of this paragraph.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph to the contrary, if the law expressly authorizes or requires a certain type of professional, professional entity, emergency medical responder, emergency medical response entity, school, school district, or school nurse to administer or dispense opioid antidotes pursuant to a standing order issued hereunder, the standing order issued pursuant to this section shall be deemed to grant the authority specified by the law, even if such authority is not expressly indicated on the face of the standing order.
(4) Any prescriber or other health care practitioner who prescribes or dispenses an opioid antidote in good faith, and in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, shall not, as a result of the practitioner's acts or omissions, be subject to any criminal or civil liability, or any professional disciplinary action under Title 45 of the Revised Statutes for prescribing or dispensing an opioid antidote in accordance with P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-1 et seq.).
b. (1) Any professional or professional entity that has obtained a standing order, pursuant to subsection a. of this section, for the dispensing of opioid antidotes, may dispense an opioid antidote to any recipient who is deemed by the professional or professional entity to be capable of administering the opioid antidote to an overdose victim in an emergency.
(2) Any professional or professional entity that dispenses an opioid antidote in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection, in good faith, and pursuant to a standing order issued under subsection a. of this section, shall not, as a result of any acts or omissions, be subject to any criminal or civil liability or any professional