#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has distributed approximately 9,200 overdose prevention kits since 2014 through the agency’s overdose prevention, education, and naloxone access campaign, known as Overdose Prevention Education and Naloxone (OPEN) Access CT.

The Governor made the announcement on International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event held each year on August 31 to raise awareness of drug overdoses and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths.  International Overdose Awareness Day also acknowledges the grief endured by the families and friends of individuals who have died or experienced permanent injury as a result of a drug overdose.

“Families across the nation, from small towns to big cities, have been impacted by addiction.  We must do everything we can to save lives.  Overdoses are preventable, and we at the state level are acting every way we can,” Governor Malloy said.  “We continue to focus on informing opioid prescribing practices, increasing the use of naloxone, and using medication-assisted treatment to move people into healthy, addiction-free lifestyles.  This is an issue that affects many families, and we must continue to act.”

OPEN Access CT was created by DPH in 2014 to address drug user health and provide access to harm reduction services for people who use drugs, including injection drugs.  The program provides overdose education, training, and access to naloxone for clients who utilize HIV prevention services in the state, including syringe exchange services.  Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that reverses the symptoms of a drug overdose.  Since 2014, over 60 overdoses have been reversed with the overdose prevention kits distributed through DPH’s Syringe Exchange and OPEN Access CT programs.

“The OPEN program has saved lives,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said.  “As part of a larger strategy to help residents battling opioid addiction, Connecticut has significantly expanded the availability and accessibility of naloxone – and it’s working.  I applaud DPH efforts, and those of community partners throughout the state, who are giving people a second chance at treatment and recovery.”

“The purpose of the OPEN Access CT program is to provide needed support, education, and access to this life saving medication for individuals who are not in the care system,” Marianne Buchelli, Supervisor of DPH’s HIV Prevention Program said.

On Thursday, October 27, 2016, DPH will host an overdose prevention conference, bringing together partners from other state agencies, state and local law enforcement, pharmacists, and substance treatment providers to discuss overdose prevention activities and best practices.  Scheduled for 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., it will be held at the Sheraton Hartford South Hotel at 100 Capital Boulevard in Rocky Hill.

Recent State Action on Opioids

Over the last several years, Governor Malloy and the state legislature have enacted a series of laws aimed at combating the nationwide opioid epidemic.  These include:

• the 2011 adoption of Good Samaritan laws protecting individuals from prosecution for minor drug crimes who seek medical attention for a friend experiencing an overdose (Public Act 11-210);
• the 2012 adoption of third party prescriber laws allowing the prescription of naloxone to an individual who is not the direct user of the drug (Public Act 12-159);
• the 2014 expansion of Good Samaritan protections for any person who, in good faith, administers naloxone to save a life.  Previously, only licensed health care practitioners were allowed to administer the medication without being civilly or criminally liable for the action.  Following the law’s adoption, all Connecticut State Police Troopers completed a training program providing them with the skills to administer the medication.  (Public Act 14-61);
• the 2015 adoption of legislation that expanded prescriber education, made use of the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) mandatory for all prescribers of controlled substances, expanded the scope of practice for pharmacists to allow them to directly prescribe naloxone and reconstituted the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC) as a statewide coordinating body to fight the spread of substance abuse and overdose (Public Act 15-198); and
• the 2016 legislative package that, among other things, limits the prescribing of opioid drugs to seven days (with certain exceptions), and requires municipalities to update their medical service plans to ensure first responders are equipped with Narcan (Public Act 16-43).

In May, Governor Malloy also announced the creation of a partnership between his office, several state agencies, the Yale School of Medicine, and Connecticut’s insurance carriers to develop a strategic plan that will help continue guiding the state’s response to the opioid epidemic.  Led by Dr. David Fiellin of Yale, this effort currently is in the process of developing a succinct, prioritized, three-year strategy for the state on opioid addiction and overdoses, emphasizing strategic initiatives to prevent and treat addiction based on evidence, public input, and judgment about where efforts can have the most impact.