Gov. Pritzker Signs Bundle of Bills to Combat Opioid Crisis

June 10, 2022

Last week Gov. Pritzker signed several new measures seeking to prevent overdoses and help addicted patients gain access to treatment. The following is an overview:

House Bill 4408 expands access to naloxone and prohibits insurers and Medicaid from charging a copay for the treatment.

House Bill 2535 requires pharmacists, who can currently dispense naloxone without a prescription, to offer naloxone to patients who are being dispensed an opioid.

Senate Bill 2565 allows circuit courts to implement drug-court treatment programs.

House Bill 4556 expands access to fentanyl testing strips to help reduce opioid overdoses and ensures testing supplies can be stored without fear of prosecution. Under current law, testing supplies used to detect fentanyl are often classified as illegal drug paraphernalia.

All of these measures are effective immediately.

If you have questions, please contact ISMS Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs Erin O'Brien by email.