BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2592
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 4, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2592 (Cooper) - As Amended April 25, 2016
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|Policy |Health |Vote:|18 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
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| |Business and Professions | |13 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH), to the extent funding is available, to establish a pilot
program to award grants to combat opioid abuse, in which
pharmacies would be granted funds to provide medicine locking
closure packages meant to keep opioid drugs secure to customers
picking up such drugs. It also:
AB 2592
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1)Specifies CDPH shall not expend General Fund moneys on this
program unless those moneys are specifically appropriated for
this purpose.
2)Authorizes CDPH to seek funds from private entities, including
foundations and nonprofit organizations, and to apply for
federal or other grants, to fund the grant program.
FISCAL EFFECT:
GF Cost pressure of $2.8 million to CDPH over two years to
operate a pilot in five counties with the highest opioid
overdose rates, including $830,000 for staff and related
expenses, $200,000 for an evaluation contract, and $1.75 million
for purchase of medicine locking closure packages.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the sponsor, GateKeeper Innovations
(GateKeeper), which manufactures medicine locking closure
packages, California has taken steps to address the
prescription drug abuse epidemic but there is one prevention
initiative that has gone widely unaddressed: the safe storage
of prescription medications. GateKeeper explains that this
bill would establish a pilot program to examine whether
increasing the safe storage of prescription drugs reduces the
number of drug abuse cases amongst teens and young adults.
2)Prescription Opioid Misuse. According to CDPH, prescription
opioid misuse is a public health problem that can lead to
long-term health consequences, including limitations in daily
activity, impaired driving, mental health problems, trouble
breathing, overdose and death. Overdose deaths, in
AB 2592
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particular, have increased dramatically in recent years. There
are a number of initiatives at the state and national level to
combat the growing problem of prescription opioid abuse. CDPH
and its state partners convened a Prescription Opioid Misuse
and Overdose Prevention Workgroup in Spring 2014 to improve
collaboration and expand joint efforts among state departments
working to address this epidemic. Its priorities are
expansion and strengthening of prevention strategies, and
improvement of monitoring and surveillance. CDPH advises
patients and pharmacists to safely store medications, but does
not appear to have advice specific to locking mechanisms.
3)Medicine Locking Closure. This bill defines "medicine locking
closure package" as a locking closure container, accessible
only by the designated patient with a passcode, an
alphanumeric code, a key, or by another secure mechanism. It
also specifies a medicine locking closure package includes,
but is not limited to, an amber prescription container
combined with a resettable alphanumerical code. Locking caps
that fit on prescription bottles currently sell for around
$12.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081