SB 903

Abstract

Hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires the Board of Health to amend regulations governing hospitals to require each hospital with an emergency department to establish a protocol for treatment of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency to include the completion of appropriate assessments or screenings to identify medical interventions necessary for the treatment of the individual in the emergency department. The protocol may also include a process for patients that are discharged directly from the emergency department for the recommendation of follow-up care following discharge for any identified substance use disorder, depression, or mental health disorder, as appropriate, which may include instructions for distribution of naloxone, referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services, or referrals for pharmacotherapy for treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses.

Hospitals; emergency treatment for substanceuse-related emergencies; services. Requires the Board of Healthto amend regulations governing hospitals to require each hospitalthat provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing asubstance use-related emergency to (i) complete a comprehensive assessmentto identify appropriate medical interventions necessary for the treatmentof the individual; (ii) complete a comprehensive behavioral healthassessment to determine whether additional treatment may be appropriate;(iii) initiate pharmacotherapy for treatment of drug or alcohol dependence,where appropriate; and (iv) provide the patient with naloxone orother opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal. Such regulationsshall also require each hospital that provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing a substance use-related emergencyto establish and implement a protocol for connecting such patientsreceiving emergency treatment with appropriate community-based providersof behavioral health services upon discharge.