An Act To Address Preventable Deaths from Drug Overdose
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1686
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H827 (House)

HOUSE AMENDMENT "il "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1209, 
L.D. 1686, Bill, "An Act To Address Preventable Deaths from Drug Overdose" 
Amend the amendment in section 1 by striking out all of §2353 and inserting the 
following: 
'§2353. Naloxone hydrochloride 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. 
"Health care professional" means a person licensed under Title 32 who is 
authorized to prescribe naloxone hydrochloride. 
B. "Immediate family" has the same meaning as in Title 21-A, section 1, subsection 
20. 
C. "Opioid-related drug overdose" means a condition including, but not limited to, 
extreme physical illness, decreased level of consciousness, respiratory depression, 
coma or death resulting from the consumption or use of an opioid, or another 
substance with which an opioid was combined, or a condition that a reasonable 
person would believe to be an opioid-related drug overdose that requires medicaJ 
assistance. 
2. 
Prescription; possession; administration. 
The prescription, possession and 
administration of naloxone hydrochloride is governed by this subsection. 
A. A health care professional may prescribe naloxone hydrochloride to an individual 
at risk of experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose. 
B. An individual to whom naloxone hydrochloride is prescribed in accordance with 
paragraph A may provide the naloxone hydrochloride so prescribed to a member of 
that individual's immediate family to possess and administer to the individual if the 
family member believes in good faith that the individual is suffering an opioid-related 
drug overdose. 
C. A health care professional may prescribe naloxone hydrochloride to a member of 
an individual's immediate family for administration to the individual in the event of 
an opioid-related drug overdose if: 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
.. 
~. 1 
~. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT"~" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1209, L.D. 1686 
(1) The health care professional has an established health care professional-
patient relationship with the individual; and 
(2) The individual is at risk of experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose. 
A health care professional who prescribes naloxone hydrochloride to a member of an 
individual's immediate family in accordance with this paragraph shall document in 
the individual's patient medical record the name of each family member who receives 
such a prescription and the health care professional's intention that the naloxone 
hydrochloride be administered to the individual. 
D. 
If a member of an individual's immediate family is prescribed naloxone 
hydrochloride in accordance with paragraph C, that family member may administer 
the naloxone hydrochloride to the individual if the family member believes in good 
faith that the individual is experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose. 
Nothing in this subsection affects the provisions of law relating to maintaining the 
confidentiality of medical records. 
3. Authorized administration of naloxone hydrochloride by law enforcement 
officers and municipal firefighters. A law enforcement officer as defined in Title 17-A, 
section 2, subsection 17 and a municipal firefighter as defined in Title 30-A, section 
3151, subsection 2 may administer intranasal naloxone hydrochloride as clinically 
indicated. 
4. Authorized administration of naloxone hydrochloride by emergency medical 
personnel. 
An advanced emergency medical technician, basic emergency medical 
services person, basic emergency medical technician, first responder and emergency 
medical services' person as defined in Title 32, section 83 may· administer naloxone 
hydrochloride in accordance with the provisions of Title 32, chapter 2-B.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes language in Committee Amendment "A" concerning 
exemptions from pharmacy license requirements for those who store or dispense opioid 
antagonists under standing orders from health care professionals and removes language 
authorizing collaborative practice between pharmacists and health care professionals with 
respect to naloxone hydrochloride. This amendment retains the provisions in Committee 
Amendment "A" that authorize emergency medical personnel, law enforcement officers 
and municipal firefighters to administer naloxone hydrochloride. 
In addition, this 
amendment replaces the language in Committee Amendment "A" governing the 
prescription, possession and administration of naloxone hydrochloride and instead 
specifically authorizes: 
1. A health care professional to prescribe naloxone hydrochloride to an individual at 
risk of experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose, and a member of that individual's 
immediate family to possess and administer naloxone hydrochloride to the individual if 
the family member believes in good faith that the individual is experiencing an opioid-
related drug overdose; 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
\ 
't .. 
.~. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT "~,, to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1209, L.D. 1686 
2. A health care professional to prescribe naloxone hydrochloride to a member of an 
individual's immediate family for administration to the individual in the event of an 
opioid-related drug overdose if the health care professional has an established health care 
professional-patient relationship with the individual and the individual is at risk of 
experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose; and 
3. A family member who is prescribed naloxone hydrochloride to administer it to the 
individual if the family member believes in good faith that the individual is suffering an 
opioid-related dmg ovecdose. d. 
SPONSORED BY: 
~<. ~ 
~ 
(Representative GIDEON) 
TOWN: Freeport 
HOUSE AMENDMENT