Chapter 440 of the 2024 Virginia Acts of Assembly established strategies to enhance the Commonwealth’s ongoing efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Specifically, it mandated that:

1. Each state agency shall possess naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal to a person who is believed to be experiencing or about to experience a life-threatening opioid overdose.

2. The Department of Health shall post informational resources on the Department of Health website about naloxone and other opioid antagonists used for opioid reversal and how they might be used to prevent overdoses in public places.

3. The Department of Health shall develop a plan for (i) the procurement and distribution of naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for opioid overdose reversal to each state agency and (ii) the possession of naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal by each state agency. The Department of Health shall report its progress in developing such plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) assumed responsibility for the mandated website updates, development of a plan for the procurement, distribution, and possession of opioid reversal agents by state agencies, and the provision of a status report on the plan to the Governor and General Assembly. The VDH Division of Pharmacy Services (DPS) naloxone webpage was updated in July 2024 per Chapter 440 of the 2024 Virginia Acts of Assembly.

The Plan for the Procurement and Distribution of Opioid Reversal Agents to State Agencies was also developed and distributed to state agencies per the mandate. Key status updates are listed below.

KEY STATUS UPDATES

1. The Plan for the Procurement and Distribution of Opioid Reversal Agents to State Agencies was developed by VDH with input from the Department of Health Professions (DHP), the Department of General Services (DGS), and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

2. The plan was reviewed by VDH, DHP, and DGS leadership in June 2024 and approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on August 21, 2024.

3. The plan was uploaded to the VDH Division of Pharmacy Services naloxone webpage on August 22, 2024.

4. DHRM distributed the plan to state agencies via an email bulletin on August 29, 2024.

5. The statewide naloxone contract was amended, resulting in an optional-use contract for VDH, other state executive branch agencies, and public bodies. The Plan for the Procurement and Distribution of Opioid Reversal Agents to State Agencies was amended to reflect the contract change and posted to the VDH DPS naloxone webpage on September 12, 2024.

6. State agencies are taking action to procure and maintain opioid antagonists for agency facilities.

7. State agencies may contact DBHDS for training on the administration of opioid antagonists at revive@dbhds.virginia.gov.