On Monday, Governor Bill Walker introduced a new bill — the “Voluntary Non-opioid Directive Act” — focused on combating Alaska’s state-wide opioid epidemic. Many measures of the bill are aimed at monitoring opioids and changing the way they are prescribed.
Some highlights of the legislation include giving patients the ability to refuse opioids for any reason while in medical care, limiting an initial prescription of opioids to a seven-day supply for outpatient use, and requiring further education for medical providers on the topics of pain management and opioid addiction.
In February, Governor Walker issued a disaster declaration related to the opioid epidemic, which allowed emergency responders state-wide to distribute naloxone throughout Alaska.
Before being passed, the “Voluntary Nonopioid Directive Act” will have to successfully go through the State Legislature. It is unclear how long it could take for this bill to become law.
