Addiction Treatment Supported by New Law

LINCOLN, Neb. - May 3, 2018 - PRLog -- The governor signed a new law to increase prevention measures to assist addiction treatment in Lincoln and the rest of the state.

Gov. Pete Ricketts passed LB 931 in April, which could help curb prescription opioid misuse. Sen. Sara Howard had introduced the bill to the state unicameral legislature.

The passing of this bill reminds us how Nebraska is leading opioid abuse prevention across the US, Howard said. Families should not have to experience losing someone to opioid abuse, she added.

The new law includes three provisions.

— Physicians will be required to put a 7-day cap on opioid prescriptions for first time users aged 19 and under, with some exceptions.

— Physicians must talk with their patients about the addictive properties of opioid-based medication.

— Patients must show a valid photo ID to a pharmacist before picking up their prescription.

The new law builds upon current Department of Health and Human Services' prevention measures. In January, Nebraska became the first state requiring prescribers to report all opioid-based medication and controlled substance prescriptions to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.

A $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has helped build drug prevention and awareness programs as well as expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

According to SAMHSA, only 22 out of 114 addiction treatment facilities offer MAT.

Compared to other states, opioid-related overdose rates are relatively low in Nebraska.

The National Institutes of Health revealed that there were 79 drug-related fatalities in Nebraska during 2016.

Putting a stop to the opioid epidemic in our state will require all our efforts, said Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson. He added that the new bill will help Nebraska officials accomplish that goal.

https://www.drugaddictionnow.com/2018/05/02/addiction-tre...