What's happening
This bill requires identifying New York counties with high prescription opioid abuse and encourages pharmacists there to distribute educational materials about opioid misuse.
Why it matters
Targets resources to areas of greatest need. By requiring the state to identify counties with the highest rates of prescription opioid abuse, the bill focuses intervention efforts where they can have the most impact, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach statewide.
Engages pharmacists as public health partners. Encouraging pharmacists to distribute educational materials leverages their frequent contact with patients, making it more likely that people at risk—or their families—will receive potentially life-saving information about opioid misuse and addiction.
Promotes data-driven public health strategies. The bill mandates the use of available data—including prescription monitoring information—to make decisions about outreach, which could help ensure accuracy and effectiveness in addressing opioid abuse.
Facilitates collaboration between agencies. By specifying that the commissioner of mental hygiene and the department of health will work together to notify pharmacists, the bill supports coordinated efforts in combating the opioid crisis, potentially leading to stronger, more unified public health messaging.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Distribute Opioid Warning Materials
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
- Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Distribute Opioid Abuse Materials
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3348
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ, CRESPO, CUSICK, GOODELL, WALLACE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, BUCHWALD, COOK, CROUCH, GUNTHER, JAFFEE, MOSLEY, PEOPLES-STOKES, RA, RIVERA, TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the distribution in counties with the most prevalent prescription opioid abuse of educational materials regarding the misuse of and addiction to prescription drugs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (j) of section 19.09 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new paragraph 4 to read as follows:
(4) Utilizing data that is available to the office, including, but not limited to, information obtained pursuant to subdivision four of section thirty-three hundred nine-a of the public health law, the commissioner shall identify the counties in New York state where prescription opioid abuse is most prevalent. Pharmacists licensed by the state to dispense prescription drugs may be notified at the discretion of the commissioner in collaboration with the department of health, about the prevalence of opioid abuse in the county in which such pharmacists are located and encourage the facilities where prescription drugs are dispensed to distribute materials created or utilized pursuant to this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03537-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.