Governor Charlie Baker’s second comprehensive opioid bill — the “CARE Act” — drew an unusually large hearing at the State House in January. The Governor pledged in his testimony to include funding for new treatment beds in the 2018 budget, which his office has since released.
Henry L. Dorkin, MD, FAAP, president of the Medical Society, testified in support of the bill, and was quoted in eight media outlets including the Boston Globe. Dr. Dorkin described the provisions of the bill that the Medical Society supports, including improvements to two existing policies for which the MMS has long advocated: the statewide standing order for naloxone access and the “partial fill” policy on opioid medications.
Dr. Dorkin voiced concern about several provisions, including involuntary 72-hour holds on patients with substance use disorder. Even with the promised new beds, the state would likely lack sufficient locked facilities to care for such patients, potentially exacerbating the problem of “boarding” patients in emergency departments. The Medical Society will continue to follow this bill as it moves through the State House. This month (March 2018) marks the two-year anniversary of Governor Baker signing his first landmark opioid bill into law.
