Administering an Opioid Antidote

5330.04 ADMINISTERING AN OPIOID ANTIDOTE (M)  

N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24.a requires schools to adopt a Policy for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote to a student, staff member, or other person who is experiencing an opioid overdose.

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24.a.(1) requires schools with any of the grades nine through twelve to comply with the provisions of the law.

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24 requires a school to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes pursuant to the “Overdose Prevention Act” - N.J.S.A. 24:6J-1 et seq.  The school shall maintain a supply of opioid antidotes under the standing order in a secure, but unlocked and easily accessible location.  The opioid antidotes shall be accessible in the school during regular school hours and during school-sponsored functions that take place in the school or on school grounds adjacent to the school building.  [Option - The Board may, in its discretion, make an opioid antidote accessible during school-sponsored functions that take place off school grounds.]

 

The school nurse and a designated employee who volunteers to administer an opioid antidote pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24.c. are required to be trained for the administration of an opioid antidote in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.25.b.  The school nurse or a designated employee who volunteers to administer an opioid antidote shall be promptly available on site at the school during regular school hours and during school-sponsored functions that take place in the school or on school grounds adjacent to the school building at any time.

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24 permits the school nurse or a designated trained employee to administer an opioid antidote to any person whom the nurse or the trained designated employee who in good faith believes is experiencing an opioid overdose.

 

An overdose victim shall be transported to a hospital emergency room by emergency medical responders after the administration of an opioid antidote, even if the person’s symptoms appear to have resolved.

 

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4.a.(1)(f), a prescriber or other health care practitioner, as appropriate, may prescribe or dispense an opioid antidote directly or through a standing order to a school, school district, or school nurse.  In accordance with N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4.a.(2)(c), whenever the law expressly authorizes or requires a school or school district to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes, the school nurse(s) employed or engaged by the school or school district shall be presumed by the prescribing or dispensing health care practitioner to be capable of administering the opioid antidote, consistent with the express statutory requirement.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4.a.(3)(b) to the contrary, if the law expressly authorizes or requires a school, school district, or school nurse to administer or dispense opioid antidotes pursuant to a standing order under N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4 et seq., the standing order issued shall be deemed to grant the authority specified by the law, even if such authority is not specifically indicated on the face of the standing order.

 

In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.26, no school employee, including a school nurse or any other officer or agent of a Board of Education or charter school, or a prescriber of opioid antidotes for a school through a standing order, shall be held liable for any good faith act or omission consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.23 et seq.  Good faith shall not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness. 

 

Any school, school district, school nurse, school employee, or any other officer or agent of a Board of Education or charter school who administers or permits the administration of an opioid antidote in good faith in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.24 and pursuant to a standing order issued under N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4 shall not, as a result of any acts or omissions, be subject to any criminal or civil liability or any disciplinary action for administering, or permitting the administration of, the opioid antidote in accordance with N.J.S.A. 24:6J-1 et seq.  Nothing in this Policy shall be interpreted to prohibit the administration of an opioid antidote to a student, staff member, or other person in an emergency during school hours or during on-site school-sponsored activities by an emergency medical responder or other person authorized by law to administer an opioid antidote, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 24:6J-1 et seq.

 

The Overdose Prevention Act provides that when a person, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for an individual believed to be experiencing a drug overdose, whether the person is seeking assistance for himself/herself or another, the person calling for help and the person experiencing the overdose shall not be arrested, charged, prosecuted, or convicted for certain criminal offenses enumerated in N.J.S.A. 2C:35-30(a)(1-6) and N.J.S.A. 2C:35-31(a)(1-6). 

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or institutional or organizational directive to the contrary, any person or entity authorized to administer an opioid antidote pursuant to N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4, may administer to an overdose victim, with full immunity:  a single dose of any type of opioid antidote that has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of opioid overdoses; and up to three doses of an opioid antidote that is administered through an intranasal application, or through an intramuscular auto-injector, as may be necessary to revive the overdose victim.  Prior consultation with, or approval by, a third-party physician or other medical personnel shall not be required before an authorized person or entity may administer up to three doses of an opioid antidote, as provided in N.J.S.A. 24:6J-4, to the same overdose victim.

 

A school district may enter into a shared services arrangement with another school district for the provision of opioid antidotes pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.27 if the arrangement will result in cost savings for the districts.

 

This Policy and Regulation 5330.04 shall be reviewed and approved by the school physician prior to Board adoption and whenever this Policy is revised.  This Policy shall be made available to school staff members, parents, and students in handbooks, on the school district’s website, or through any other appropriate means of publication.

 

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.23; 18A:40-12.24; 18A:40-12.25;

18A:40-12.26; 18A:40-12.27

 

N.J.S.A. 24:6J-1 et seq.

 

 

Revised:  30 July 2020

Revised : 25 July 2019

Adopted: 15 February 2018