The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Act (AB474), which was introduced by Governor Sandoval during his 2017 State of the State address, was passed unanimously by the legislature, and was signed into law on June 16, 2017. The law, which went into effect on January 1, 2018, expands state laws related to the reporting of drug overdoses, provides protocols for healthcare provider that are prescribing controlled substances, and enacts the Prescribe 365 initiative. This impacts all prescriptions for controlled substances; however, most provisions apply specifically to only those controlled substances prescribed to treat pain.
This legislation establishes a standard of care that is intended to ensure that prescribers have critical information about their patient that demonstrates that the benefits of prescribing a controlled substance outweigh the risks, and ultimately improve patient safety and reduce the risk of addiction to prescription drugs.
In 2019, the Legislature passed AB 239, which further refined the requirements around controlled substance prescribing.
In order to assist our member hospitals with the requirements of the law, NRHP has compiled a list of resources, tools, and templates for opioid abuse prevention.
State of Nevada Resources
Assembly Bill 474
AB474 was passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature during the 2017 session.
Assembly Bill 239
AB239 was passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature during the 2019 session.
Prescribe 365 Website – Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Act (AB474)
DPBH’s website includes the following important resources:
- AB474 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Prescriber Information: https://dpbh.nv.gov/Resources/opioids/Prescriber_Information/
- White Paper: AB239 (passed 2019, modifies and refines prescribing guidelines)
- White Paper: An Inside Look at Changes to Nevada Laws Surrounding Prescribing Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain
- Changes to Nevada Laws Surrounding Prescribing Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain–AB474 CHART
- Compliance Checklist
- Sample Informed Consent
- Sample Medication Agreement
- Sample Prescription
- Prescriber Education: https://dpbh.nv.gov/Resources/opioids/Prescriber_Education/
Governor Sandoval’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit–Summary of Findings
A two-day summit was convened by Governor Brian Sandoval in August of 2016 to address prescription opioid abuse in Nevada. This summary discusses the resulting recommendations, including those involving prescription guidelines.
Overdose Reporting Regulations
The final regulations to implement the provisions of AB474 lay out procedures for reporting cases or suspected cases of drug overdose to the Chief Medical Officer. Additional resources can be found below:
- Technical Bulletin–AB474 overdose reporting regulations explanation
- Overdose Reporting FAQ
- Overdose Reporting Form
- Note: Reporting may be done fax, batch reporting, or web-based reporting with a Clarity account.
Other Resources
- Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners–December 2017 Newsletter: AB474–Is Your Practice Ready?
- Nevada State Medical Association AB474 Toolkit
Senate Bill 459
SB459 went into effect on October 1, 2015. The primary topics of this bill are the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) reports, and the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act.
Nevada Rural Hospital Partners Resources
Nevada Rural Health Summit Materials
Nevada Rural Hospital Partners and the Nevada State Office of Rural Health sponsored the 2017 Opioid Abuse Prevention Summit on November 16, 2017. The materials from the presentations can be found at the above link.