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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: HHS DPA 12-0-0-0 |
HB 2697: expired opioid antagonists; use
Sponsor: Representative Willoughby, LD 13
Caucus & COW
Overview
Expands the types of opioid antagonists that can be dispensed and administered to include opioid antagonists with an expiration date that is less than five years from the date of use.
History
Opioid antagonists are medications that block the activation of opioid receptors of the central or peripheral nervous systems. Opioid antagonists approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include: 1) buprenorphine; 2) methadone; and 3) naltrexone. These medications block the effects of opioids (CDC).
Provisions
1. Expands the type of opioid antagonists that can be prescribed or dispensed by a pharmacist, physician, nurse practitioner or other health professional or administered by any person to include opioid antagonists with an expiration date that is less than five years from the date of use. (Sec. 1, 4, 5)
2. Maintains immunity from liability for pharmacists, specified healthcare professionals, and individuals who administer expired opioid antagonists in good faith, provided they act with reasonable care and not with wanton or wilful neglect, gross negligence, or intentional wrongdoing. (Sec. 1, 4, 5)
3. Requires a city, town, county or nongovernmental organization's overdose and disease prevention program to:
a. have access to kits that contain any expired FDA-approved opioid antagonist; or
b. referrals to programs that provide access to FDA-approved expired opioid antagonists. (Sec. 3)
4. Allows county health departments to provide to a person who is at risk of experiencing or who is experiencing an opioid-related antagonist, including any expired opioid antagonists that are approved by the FDA for the treatment of a drug overdose. (Sec. 2)
5. Defines expired opioid antagonist as an opioid antagonist that has an expiration date that is less than five years from the date of use. (Sec. 1-5)
6. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-5)
Amendments
Committee on Health & Human Services
1. Modifies the definition of an expired opioid antagonist to be an opioid antagonist that has an expiration date that is less than three years from the date of use, rather than five years.
2. Allows a pharmacist, physician, nurse practitioner or any other health professional to provide, without compensation, a kit that contains naloxone hydrochloride or any other FDA-approved opioid antagonist, including any expired opioid antagonist, to treat a drug overdose.
3. Allows a person to administer an opioid antagonist, including any expired opioid antagonist, regardless if it is prescribed or dispensed in accordance with the a protocol specified by a physician, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, other health professional or that is received from a county health department.
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7. Initials AG/LK HB 2697
8. 2/13/2026 Page 0 Caucus & COW
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