Bill Allowing Mobile Pharmacies to Distribute Opioid Addiction Medication Sent to Governor’s Desk

Bill Allowing Mobile Pharmacies to Distribute Opioid Addiction Medication Sent to Governor’s Desk

Assemblymember Matt Haney’s AB 663 will allow mobile pharmacies to carry medications used to treat opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine

San Francisco, CA – Assemblymember Matt Haney’s (D-San Francisco) legislation allowing mobile pharmacies to dispense medications used to treat opioid addiction has reached a new milestone in the legislative process. The bill passed out of the California State Senate with 39 votes and the Assembly with a final vote of 80 to 0. It will now head to the Governor’s Desk where it awaits Governor Newsom’s signature.

“Stopping the fentanyl crisis that’s playing out on our streets is my top priority,” said Assemblymember Haney, Chair of the Select Committee on Fentanyl and Overdose Prevention. “This bill will bring medication where it’s needed most and will help get people off the streets and into recovery."

Opioid use disorder, like other chronic medical conditions, can be effectively treated. Two FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, buprenorphine and naltrexone, can be prescribed in outpatient clinics and dispensed by retail pharmacies. Although access to these medications has improved over the past several years, there continue to be significant barriers to treatment. One challenge that clinical outreach teams face is providing these medications in a location that is accessible to people experiencing homelessness.