Health committee approves legislation reducing flow of opioids, expanding treatment options

COLUMBUS, Ohio — State Representative Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) today announced that the Ohio House Health Committee has passed legislation he sponsored that originally addresses prescriptions for opioids and alternative treatments.

Substitute House Bill 167 changed from the original legislation as a result of new rules from the Administration that were in line with portions of the bill, mainly surrounding the number of pills per prescription for acute pain. However, the bill will now also address gaps in patient access to medication-assisted treatment, better helping those in care for addiction. Specifically, House Bill 167 allows pharmacists to provide short-term doses of certain treatments to patients if their prescriber is unavailable or in emergencies.

“This is one of many steps that I have taken to fight the opioid epidemic and save lives” Edwards said. “This bill would have saved Daniel’s life and we cannot allow more lives to be lost. It is a such a small window for those in treatment to get them the help they desire. We need to focus on the barriers they face, that lead some of them back into addiction. Also, trained professionals are scared to provide much needed medication, because under current law, administering this live-saving drug in an emergency situation could lead to legal repercussions; this has to change!”

The legislation is also known as Daniel’s Law, named for Daniel Weidle of Germantown, who tragically died of an overdose in 2015 after battling addiction for years. Daniel’s father, Scott, has made it his mission to share Daniel’s story in the hopes of educating others about addiction.

Substitute House Bill 167 now awaits consideration to be heard on the House floor.