[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S1151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3376. Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mrs. Capito) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 524, to 
authorize the Attorney General to award grants to address the national 
epidemics of prescription opioid abuse and heroin use; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 67, line 24, insert ``including best practices on 
     the co-prescribing of naloxone'' after ``guidelines''.
       On page 77, between lines 5 and 6, insert the following:

     SEC. __. NALOXONE CO-PRESCRIBING IN FEDERAL HEALTH CARE AND 
                   MEDICAL FACILITIES.

       (a) Naloxone Co-Prescribing Guidelines.--Not later than 180 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act:
       (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, as 
     appropriate, provide information to prescribers within 
     Federally qualified health centers (as defined in paragraph 
     (4) of section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1395x(aa))), and the health care facilities of the Indian 
     Health Service, on best practices for co-prescribing naloxone 
     for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy and patients 
     being treated for opioid use disorders.
       (2) The Secretary of Defense shall, as appropriate, provide 
     information to prescribers within Department of Defense 
     medical facilities on best practices for co-prescribing 
     naloxone for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy and 
     patients being treated for opioid use disorders.
       (3) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, as 
     appropriate, provide information to prescribers within 
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities on best 
     practices for co-prescribing naloxone for patients receiving 
     chronic opioid therapy and patients being treated for opioid 
     use disorders.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Co-prescribing.--The term ``co-prescribing'' means, 
     with respect to an opioid overdose reversal drug, the 
     practice of prescribing such drug in conjunction with an 
     opioid prescription for patients at an elevated risk of 
     overdose, or in conjunction with an opioid agonist approved 
     under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
     (21 U.S.C. 355) for the treatment of opioid use disorders, or 
     in other circumstances in which a provider identifies a 
     patient at an elevated risk for an intentional or 
     unintentional drug overdose from heroin or prescription 
     opioid therapies.
       (2) Elevated risk of overdose.--The term ``elevated risk of 
     overdose'' has the meaning given such term by the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services, which--
       (A) may be based on the criteria provided in the Opioid 
     Overdose Toolkit published by the Substance Abuse and Mental 
     Health Services Administration; and
       (B) may include patients on a first course opioid 
     treatment, patients using extended-release and long-acting 
     opioid analgesic, and patients with a respiratory disease or 
     other co-morbidities.
                                 ______