HB208 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Allen TreadawayRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Drug overdoses, drugs to counteract effects of, physician or dentist authorized to prescribe and persons authorized to administer, alcohol consumption by minors assisting others, immune from liability

Summary

HB208 lets doctors or dentists prescribe naloxone to people at risk of overdose or those who can help, shields prescribers and responders from liability, and offers limited protections for seeking medical help for others, with required training for law enforcement.

What This Bill Does

The bill authorizes physicians or dentists to prescribe an opioid antagonist (naloxone) and allows pharmacists to dispense it to at-risk individuals or to someone in a position to assist. People who administer the antagonist or dispense it receive civil or criminal immunity when acting in good faith. It provides immunity from certain alcohol and controlled-substance prosecutions for those who seek medical help for another under this act, if specific conditions are met, and it requires law enforcement to have training on carrying and using the antidote.

Who It Affects

• Individuals at risk of an opiate overdose and their family members, friends, or others who may assist in an overdose emergency (they can receive and use the antagonist).
• Physicians and dentists who prescribe the antagonist and pharmacists who dispense it, with immunity protections for those actions.
• People who administer the antagonist in good faith (e.g., friends, family, or bystanders) who are shielded from liability.
• Law enforcement officers who may carry or administer naloxone, who are required to receive approved training.
• Minors under 21 and individuals involved in certain controlled substance offenses who seek medical help for another under this act, who may be shielded from certain prosecutions if they meet conditions.

Key Provisions

• Opioid antagonist is defined as naloxone (or FDA-approved similar drug) used to treat opioid overdoses.
• Physicians or dentists may prescribe, and pharmacists may dispense, an opioid antagonist to at-risk individuals or to someone in a position to assist during an potential overdose.
• A prescriber may require a written basis showing a reasonable belief the overdose risk exists or that the helper is in a position to assist; administration can be done by someone with a good-faith belief of an overdose and who provides basic instruction.
• Immunity from civil or criminal liability applies to the prescriber (under certain conditions), the person who administers the antagonist, and the pharmacist who dispenses it.
• Under-21 individuals cannot be prosecuted for possession or consumption of alcohol if law enforcement learns of it solely because they sought medical help for another person under this act; similarly, a person may not be prosecuted for certain misdemeanor controlled-substance offenses if the sole reason law enforcement became aware was seeking medical help, with conditions (good faith, using personal name, remaining with the person).
• The Alabama Department of Public Health must approve a specific training curriculum by January 1, 2016 for law enforcement officers who choose to carry and administer opioid antagonists.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Drugs