{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-217.186","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 217.186","heading":"Definition -- Provider prescribing or dispensing opioid antagonist --","body":"Administration by third party -- Use of opioid antagonist by person or agency\nauthorized to administer medication -- Immunity from liability --\nAdministrative regulations -- Use of opioid antagonist by schools -- Use of\nopioid antagonist by licensed health care provider.\n(1) As used in this section, \"opioid antagonist\" means naloxone or any other United\nStates Food and Drug Administration-approved drug designed to reverse the effects\nof an opioid overdose.\n(2) A licensed health -care provider who, acting in good faith, directly or by standing\norder, prescribes or dispenses an opioid antagonist to a person or agency who, in the\njudgment of the health -care provider, is capable  of administering the drug for an\nemergency opioid overdose, shall not, as a result of his or her acts or omissions, be\nsubject to disciplinary or other adverse action under KRS Chapter 311, 311A, 314,\nor 315 or any other professional licensing statute. As  used in this subsection,\n\"licensed health-care provider\" includes a pharmacist as defined in KRS 315.010\nwho holds a separate certification issued by the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy\nauthorizing the initiation of the dispensing of an opioid antagonist under  subsection\n(6) of this section.\n(3) A prescription for an opioid antagonist may include authorization for administration\nof the drug to the person for whom it is prescribed by a third party, if the prescribing\ninstructions indicate the need for the third party, upon administering the drug, to\nimmediately notify a local public safety answering point of the situation\nnecessitating the administration.\n(4) A person or agency, including a peace officer, jailer, firefighter, paramedic, or\nemergency medical techn ician or a school employee authorized to administer\nmedication under KRS 156.502, may:\n(a) Receive a prescription for an opioid antagonist;\n(b) Possess an opioid antagonist pursuant to this subsection and any equipment\nneeded for its administration;\n(c) Administer an opioid antagonist to an individual suffering from an apparent\nopioid-related overdose; and\n(d) Provide, as part of a harm reduction program, an opioid antagonist to persons\nwho have been trained on the mechanism and circumstances of its\nadministration.\n(5) A person acting in good faith who provides or administers an opioid antagonist\nreceived under this section shall be immune from criminal and civil liability for the\nprovision or administration, unless personal injury results from the gross negligence\nor willful or wanton misconduct of the person providing or administering the drug.\n(6) (a) The Board of Pharmacy, in consultation with the Kentucky Board of Medical\nLicensure, shall promulgate administrative regulations to establish\ncertification, educational, operational, and protocol requirements to\nimplement this section.\n(b) Administrative regulations promulgated under this subsection shall:\n1. Require that any dispensing under this section be done only in\naccordance with a physician -approved pr otocol and specify the\nminimum required components of any such protocol;\n2. Require education as to the mechanism and circumstances for the\nadministration of an opioid antagonist for the person to whom an opioid\nantagonist is dispensed; and\n3. Require that a record of the dispensing be made available to a physician\nsigning a protocol under this subsection, if desired by the physician.\n(c) Administrative regulations promulgated under this subsection may include:\n1. A supplemental educational or t raining component for a pharmacist\nseeking certification under this subsection; and\n2. A limitation on the forms of the opioid antagonist and means of its\nadministration that may be dispensed pursuant to this subsection.\n(7) (a) The board of each local pub lic school district and the governing body of each\nprivate and parochial school or school district may permit a school to keep an\nopioid antagonist on the premises and regulate the administration of an opioid\nantagonist to any individual suffering from an apparent opiate -related\noverdose.\n(b) In collaboration with local health departments, local health providers, and\nlocal schools and school districts, the Kentucky Department for Public Health\nshall develop clinical protocols to address supplies of an opioi d antagonist\nkept by schools under this section and to advise on the clinical administration\nof an opioid antagonist.\n(8) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a licensed health care\nprovider, including a pharmacist who is utilizing a proto col established by this\nsection, may dispense an opioid antagonist to any person or agency who, as part of a\nharm reduction program, provides training to the public on the mechanism and\ncircumstances for the administration of an opioid antagonist, regardle ss of whom\nthe ultimate user of the opioid antagonist may be. The documentation of the\ndispensing of an opioid antagonist to any person or agency operating a harm\nreduction program shall satisfy any general documentation or recording\nrequirements found in administrative regulations regarding legend drugs\npromulgated pursuant to this chapter.","path":["KRS Chapter 217"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52963","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:52:25Z","sha256":"bc2401be5cf9f139ba30af767eb047078bc7ff8351c729e1f3f2a4c0aef8608a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-217.185","next":"us-ky/krs-217.187"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}