ATLANTA – State Representative Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) today announced that House Bill 249 was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on Thursday, May 4, 2017. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Tanner, includes methods to address opioid abuse in Georgia.
“I’m extremely proud of the General Assembly for prioritizing legislation this session to combat our state’s continued opioid epidemic,” said Rep. Tanner. “Prescription opioid overdose deaths in the United States have increased 200 percent since 2000, and Georgia ranks 11th among states with the most prescription opioid overdose deaths. The state legislature recognizes this serious problem and tackled the issue head-on with legislation that will provide viable solutions to victims and their families. I’m thankful to Governor Deal for signing House Bill 249 into Georgia law, and I’m certain this critical legislation will save lives and give all Georgians the opportunity to lead full and healthy lives.”
Under HB 249, prescribers will be required to enroll in a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) database to electronically record controlled substance prescription information, which will be established and maintained by the Department of Public Health, and update that database when prescribing a controlled substance. Controlled substance dispensers, such as pharmacies, will also be required to update this database with prescription information, including quality and strength dispensed and patient information compliant with federal privacy and confidentiality rules. Prescribers with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration numbers will be required to enroll in the PDMP database and update the database when they write a prescription for a controlled substance. Prior to prescribing a controlled substance, prescribers will seek and review information from the PDMP database the first time he or she issues the prescription to a patient and at least once every 90 days thereafter.
In addition, HB 249 removes naloxone, an emergency medication used to treat opioid overdoses, from the list of dangerous drugs and allows over the counter distribution. This legislation also requires opioid prescribers to provide patients with information on the addictive risks of using opioids and the safe disposal of unused opioids; requires the Department of Public Health to report incidents of neonatal abstinence syndrome, a group of physical problems that occur in infants exposed to addictive drugs while in the mother’s womb; authorizes the Department of Public Health to conduct narcotic treatment program inspections annually; requires the Department of Community Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to publish an annual report regarding Georgia’s narcotic treatment programs; and requires law enforcement officers or others with relevant information to immediately notify coroners or county medical examiners of drug overdose deaths.
For more information on HB 249, please click here.
Representative Kevin Tanner represents the citizens of District 9, which includes portions of Dawson, Forsyth, and Lumpkin counties. He was elected in 2012, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Secretary on the Intragovernmental Coordination Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and the Education, Natural Resources & Environment and Special Rules committees.
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