R 284

2018 -- H 8283 Enacted 06/05/2018

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE AND VITAL NEED FOR CHRONICALLY ILL PATIENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS

Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Kazarian, Cunha, McLaughlin, and Kennedy

Date Introduced: June 05, 2018

WHEREAS, Since 2009, the overdose crisis has claimed the lives of over 1,800 Rhode

Islanders, and there are on average 32 non-fatal overdoses weekly related to opioids; and

WHEREAS, A host of efforts to combat this public health crisis are underway at the

federal, state and local levels such as increasing access to medication assisted recovery,

increasing access to naloxone, increasing access to peer recovery coaches and increasing efforts

to prevent individuals from being exposed to prescription or illicit opioids; and

WHEREAS, The needs of chronically ill patients to treat their pain with opioids must still

be met. All patients should be treated with compassion, empathy and sound clinical judgement

recognizing the safest treatment options to treat their pain; and

WHEREAS, It is the duty of every doctor to first "Do No Harm"; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations in conjunction with the Rhode Island Department of Health hereby

recognize the importance and vital need for chronically ill patients to have access to safe effective

treatments; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this House hereby respectfully urges every emergency room facility in

this state to treat the chronically ill with compassion, empathy and sound clinical judgement; and

be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Directors of the Rhode Island Department

of Health, and The Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental

Disabilities and Hospitals, and the Governor of the State of Rhode Island.

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LC005748

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