The KYSAM Board strongly supports House Bill 788 and encourages you to do the same. We have been advocating for the repeal of the Suboxone special regulation so that Suboxone is treated as a Schedule 3 drug just like other Schedule 3 drugs. That is what 33 other states do. They don’t have a special regulation for Suboxone. Tennessee and Indiana have regulations, but they are not as stringent as ours. Even the DEA, a very conservative entity regulating prescribing of controlled substances, significantly liberalized regulations for prescribing Suboxone via Telehealth in the Final Rule (https://www.functionallawyer.com/blog/New%202025%20Telehealth%20Prescribing%20Rules) though this has not yet been signed by the President.
Representative Kim Moser has filed House Bill 788. it currently is in the Health Services Committee.
As you can see, this protects doctors and nurse practitioners who prescribe Suboxone. It gives them more flexibility in dosing without fear of reprisal. It should encourage more providers to prescribe Suboxone.
Please call your legislator (Senator and Representative) and strongly advocate for this bill. This is a short legislative session and we need to move quickly. To find your legislator go to:
https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/default.aspx
UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 951
AN ACT relating to buprenorphine products.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 311 IS CREATED TO
READ AS FOLLOWS:
(1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a physician who is licensed in Kentucky
and meets the qualifications to prescribe, dispense, or administer Buprenorphine-
Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-Combined-with-Naloxone shall use
professional judgement to prescribe, dispense, or administer a specific dosage
regimen of Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-Combined-with-
Naloxone that best meets the treatment needs of a patient.
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure shall not suspend, limit, or restrict a
license or take other disciplinary action against a physician who prescribes,
dispenses, or administers Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-
Combined-with-Naloxone to a patient in accordance with subsection (1) of this
(2) section.
(3) The board shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS
Chapter 13A to implement the requirements of this section.
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 314 IS CREATED TO
READ AS FOLLOWS:
(1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an advanced practice registered nurse
who is licensed in Kentucky and meets the qualifications to prescribe, dispense,
or administer Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-Combined-with-
Naloxone shall use professional judgement to prescribe, dispense, or administer a
specific dosage regimen of Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-
Combined-with-Naloxone that best meets the treatment needs of a patient.
The board shall not suspend, limit, or restrict a license or take other disciplinary
action against an advanced practice registered nurse who prescribes, dispenses,
(2) Page 1 of 2
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UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 951
1
2
3
(3) 4
or administers Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-Combined-with-
Naloxone to a patient in accordance with subsection (1) of this section.
The board shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS
Chapter 13A to implement the requirements of this section.
Page 2 of 2
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