Pharmacies in West Virginia will be able to dispense naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, pursuant to a protocol beginning June 10, 2016. Under the new law, a pharmacist or pharmacy intern is authorized to dispense an opioid antagonist pursuant to a protocol.
The law states the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy is required to develop a protocol requiring patient counseling, educational materials, and documentation of distribution in the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database. In addition, the Board is required to revise existing reporting requirements, provide limited liability to pharmacists and pharmacy interns, and reorganize existing code language.
West Virginia codes to be amended and reenacted include Chapter 16, Article 46, Section 3; Chapter 16, Article 46, Section 5; and Chapter 16, Article 46, Section 6. The law also adds a new section: Chapter 16, Article 46, Section 3a. Senate Bill 431 was signed into law by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin in March 2016 and takes effect June 10, 2016.