Paper , Order, or Assignment Requirements

The Senate and Legislature of the State of Maine recently passed the bill L.D. 1547 that allows pharmacists to dispense Narcon (Naloxone) without a physician’s prescription. Narcon is the drug commonly used to counter the often fatal effects of an opioid overdose. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Narcon is effective when administered by first responders, family members and friends, Maine’s Governor Paul LePage vetoed the bill which could have saved thousands of lives and which had support among key members of his Republican party. In his response, he wrote, “Creating a situation where an addict has a heroin needle in one hand and a shot of naloxone in the other produces a sense of normalcy and security around heroin use that serves only to perpetuate the cycle of addiction”. The Maine legislature had enough votes to override the Governor’s veto, so Narcon will now be available. For purposes of this discussion, however, let’s pretend that the fate of L.D. 1547 was uncertain and the critical vote to override the Governor’s veto was scheduled in two weeks time. What would you do?