An Act To Provide Immunity for Prescribing and Dispensing Intranasal Naloxone Kits
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 24 MRSA §2908 is enacted to read:
§ 2908. Limited immunity for intranasal naloxone
1. Professional immunity. A health care professional licensed under Title 32 is immune from civil or criminal liability or professional disciplinary action for prescribing, dispensing, purchasing, acquiring or possessing an intranasal naloxone kit or for administering naloxone intranasally to a person who is experiencing or is likely to experience an opiate-related drug overdose if the health care professional acts in good faith and within the applicable scope of practice of that health care professional's profession.
2. General immunity. A person is immune from civil or criminal liability for purchasing, acquiring or possessing an intranasal naloxone kit or for administering naloxone intranasally to a person who is experiencing or is likely to experience an opiate-related drug overdose.
summary
This bill provides immunity for health care professionals and persons who assist a person who is experiencing or likely to experience an opiate-related drug overdose with intranasal naloxone. This bill is a recommendation from the Substance Abuse Services Commission's work group convened pursuant to Resolve 2011, chapter 81 and is submitted by the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services.