Controlled Substances

November 5, 2024 | Controlled Substances, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Opioids, Recovery, Reports & Studies, Treatments

The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, together published a report that includes a comprehensive review of the laws and regulations that apply to methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD) to determine which laws and regulations would need to be amended in order to support pharmacy-based methadone treatment for OUD. This analysis (1) includes a discussion of the agencies involved in governing methadone for OUD treatment; (2) explains the provision in federal Controlled Substances Act that creates the regulatory scheme for methadone treatment; (3) describes DEA regulations governing Narcotic Treatment Programs; and (4) summarizes the general types of state laws and regulations that place additional restrictions on methadone for OUD treatment....

October 7, 2024 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Fentanyl, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Substance Abuse

In this fact sheet the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) discusses the emergence of  "tusi," which is also known as pink cocaine. Tusi is a group of psychedelic drugs common amongst clubgoers, dyed pink, that actually rarely contains cocaine. While tusi itself is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act, its individual components like ketamine and fentanyl often are, and because users rarely know what is in the particular mix they are ingesting, they cannot anticipate the side effects....

September 24, 2024 | Controlled Substances, Criminal Justice, Harm Reduction, Law Enforcement, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Abuse, Toolkits

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA), in partnership with the Institute for Intergovernmental Relations, developed several resources related to overdose fatality review (OFR), including a complete summary of state OFR laws, a guide on how OFR teams can obtain information from the Indian Health Service, and a guide on how OFR teams can obtain information from the Veterans Health Administration....

July 12, 2024 | Fact Sheets, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Recovery, Substance Abuse, Treatments

In this fact sheet the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) details the changes to the "primary diagnosis other than OUD" regulation. The fact sheet also covers the federal regulatory scheme for methadone for OUD and explains what led SAMHSA to revise its regulations. ...

June 28, 2024 | Controlled Substances, Fetal and Infant Health, Legal & Legislative Research, Maternal Health, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Abuse, Treatments

In this document, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) examines state-level statutes and regulations related to substance use during pregnancy and whether such use during pregnancy is considered child abuse or neglect in the jurisdiction. ...

May 12, 2024 | Emergency Departments, First Responders, Harm Reduction, Innovative Initiatives, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Opioid Antagonists, Opioid Antagonists, Opioids, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Abuse, Treatments

Paramedics in the State of New Jersey are permitted to carry and administer buprenorphine to treat acute withdrawal symptoms after having had an opioid overdose reversed with naloxone. The directive, via Executive Order from the State Health Commissioner, simply added buprenorphine to the list of medications available to paramedics in the MICUs and required officials in each county to train paramedics on the protocol. ...

May 10, 2024 | Controlled Substances, First Responders, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Substance Abuse

Research indicates that there is often a reluctance among those witnessing an overdose to summon emergency assistance from law enforcement or other first responders out of fear of arrest for drug possession or other charges. In an effort to reduce this fear and to encourage overdose witnesses to seek help, state policymakers developed Good Samaritan laws specific to drug overdoses. The purpose of these laws is to prioritize the overdose victim’s safety over arresting drug users by granting limited protection from criminal liability to persons seeking medical assistance and, in most cases, to the overdose victim. This document (1) provides a singular resource for each jurisdiction's laws; (2) allows for a comparison of these laws between jurisdictions; and (3) identifies and highlights interesting provisions. ...