Lt. Governor Calley Signs Legislation Fighting Opioid Epidemic

Liz Gullett

Lt. Governor Calley Signs Legislation Fighting Opioid Epidemic

Jan 05, 2018

Last week, Lt. Governor Brian Calley signed into law a package of legislation aimed at combating the opioid epidemic in Michigan. The legislative package was unveiled in March by the Lt. Governor, Governor Snyder, and a group of bipartisan legislators as implementation of recommendations of the Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force. “Lt. Governor Calley has been working hard with stakeholders throughout 2017 in order for the state to reduce the numbers of addictions and deaths from what is quickly becoming a nationwide crisis,” stated Tony Des Chenes of MLC.

The new laws contain several reforms to help combat the problem, including:

Requires prescribers to check a patient’s prescription history in the Michigan Automated Prescription System and creates disciplinary action for prescribers who don’t use the system.
Requires prescribers to provide information about the dangers of opioids.
Requires prescribers to have a bona-fide physician-patient relationship before prescribing controlled substances.
Limits the supply of an opioid that can be prescribed for acute pain.
Requires schools to include education on opioids and the potential for addiction in health education curriculum.
Codifies treatment options for Medicaid beneficiaries suffering from opioid addiction.

Under the Michigan Constitution, the Lt. Governor has authority to sign legislation into law when the Governor is out of state.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.