Hospitals; screening emergency department patients, etc.

Hospitals; emergency treatment for substanceuse-related emergencies; services. Requires the Board of Healthto amend regulations governing hospitals to require each hospitalthat provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing asubstance use-related emergency to (i) complete a comprehensive assessmentto identify appropriate medical interventions necessary for the treatmentof the individual; (ii) complete a comprehensive behavioral healthassessment to determine whether additional treatment may be appropriate;(iii) initiate pharmacotherapy for treatment of drug or alcohol dependence,where appropriate; and (iv) provide the patient with naloxone orother opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal. Such regulationsshall also require each hospital that provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing a substance use-related emergencyto establish and implement a protocol for connecting such patientsreceiving emergency treatment with appropriate community-based providersof behavioral health services upon discharge.