COLUMBUS, Ohio – State Senator Larry Obhof (R-Medina) announced the Senate’s recent passage of legislation to expand access to life-saving treatment for individuals at risk for opioid related-drug overdoses. Under House Bill 4, naloxone (commonly known as NarcanĀ®) will become more widely available for use in combatting overdoses.
“House Bill 4 is another important step in our efforts to save lives,ā Obhof said. āHeroin and other opioids are taking a huge toll on our families and communities.ā
Naloxone is a non-addictive, emergency medical treatment used to reverse the potentially fatal effects of an opiate overdose. House Bill 4 allows physicians to issue protocols for pharmacists and family members to administer the life-saving treatment in the event of an overdose.
The legislation builds on the success of House Bill 170, which passed the General Assembly last year and made naloxone widely available for local first responders.
If signed into law, local departments of health will be permitted to sell naloxone at wholesale prices to local law enforcement agencies. The legislation also provides protections for individuals that distribute the medication in accordance with established physician protocols.
House Bill 4 passed the Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support. It now goes back to the House of Representatives for concurrence in the Senate version of the bill, before heading to the Governor for his signature.