2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources
Chapter 319j - Addiction Services
Section 17a-714a. - Immunity and no violation of standard of care for prescribing, dispensing or administering opioid antagonist. Amendment of local emergency medical services plan.
(a) For purposes of this section, “opioid antagonist” means naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of drug overdose.
(b) A licensed health care professional who is permitted by law to prescribe an opioid antagonist may prescribe or dispense an opioid antagonist to any individual to treat or prevent a drug overdose without being liable for damages in a civil action or subject to criminal prosecution for prescribing or dispensing such opioid antagonist or for any subsequent use of such opioid antagonist. A licensed health care professional who prescribes or dispenses an opioid antagonist in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be deemed not to have violated the standard of care for such licensed health care professional.
(c) A licensed health care professional may administer an opioid antagonist to any person to treat or prevent an opioid-related drug overdose. Such licensed health care professional who administers an opioid antagonist in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall not be liable for damages in a civil action or subject to criminal prosecution for administration of such opioid antagonist and shall not be deemed to have violated the standard of care for such licensed health care professional.
(d) Any person who in good faith believes that another person is experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose may, if acting with reasonable care, administer an opioid antagonist to such other person. Any person, other than a licensed health care professional acting in the ordinary course of such person's employment, who administers an opioid antagonist in accordance with this subsection shall not be liable for damages in a civil action or subject to criminal prosecution with respect to the administration of such opioid antagonist.
(e) Not later than October 1, 2017, each municipality shall amend its local emergency medical services plan, as described in section 19a-181b, to ensure that at least one emergency medical services provider, as defined in the regulations of Connecticut state agencies pertaining to emergency medical services, who is likely to be the first person to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency in the municipality, including, but not limited to, emergency medical services personnel, as defined in section 20-206jj, or a resident state trooper, is equipped with an opioid antagonist and such person has received training, approved by the Commissioner of Public Health, in the administration of an opioid antagonist.
(P.A. 03-159, S. 2; P.A. 12-159, S. 1; P.A. 14-61, S. 1; P.A. 15-198, S. 8; P.A. 16-43, S. 1; P.A. 17-131, S. 11.)
History: P.A. 12-159 replaced provision re prescribing, dispensing or administering opioid antagonist to a drug user in need of intervention with provision re prescribing, dispensing or administering opioid antagonist to treat or prevent a drug overdose, added provision re civil liability for subsequent use of opioid antagonist and made technical changes; P.A. 14-61 added Subsec. (a) defining “opioid antagonist”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and amended same to delete definition of “opioid antagonist”, and added Subsec. (c) re administration of an opioid antagonist by a person who reasonably believes that another person is experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose; P.A. 15-198 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “, if acting with reasonable care”, adding “to any individual” and adding provision re licensed health care professional deemed not to have violated standard of care for prescribing, dispensing or administering opioid antagonist, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 16-43 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting references to administering opioid antagonist, added new Subsec. (c) re health care professional administering opioid antagonist, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) re person experiencing opioid-related drug overdose as Subsec. (d) and amended same by making a technical change, and added Subsec. (e) re amending local emergency medical services plan, effective May 27, 2016; P.A. 17-131 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “2016” with “2017”, replacing reference to emergency responder with reference to at least one emergency medical services provider, and making technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2017.
