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June 26, 2017

NALOXONE
Maine legislators fix year-old narcotic antagonists bill to finally allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone without prescriptions; passage vote exceeds majority needed to survive another veto by Gov. LePage
According to a report in the Bangor Daily News on June 26, the Maine Legislature passed an amendment to a year-old statute that originally was designed to allow distribution of opiate antagonists, such as naloxone, without prescriptions in Maine pharmacies. However, the original bill was written in such a way as to still require prescriptions. The amendment adds "may dispense" in the relevant section of the statute, and requires the Maine Board of Pharmacy to promulgate rules and require training of pharmacists who may dispense the drugs. It was passed as an emergency measure with majorities exceeding two-thirds in each legislative chamber, to forestall another veto by Governor Paul LePage. LePage famously noted, when he vetoed the previous bill, that a drug like naloxone "does not truly save lives, it merely extends them until the next overdose." The 2016 Legislature overrode his veto. [Ricker N. Pharmacists may soon be able to sell Narcan without a prescription. BDN Maine Health, 2017 Jun 26; http://bit.ly/2seNgrl]