The Strengthen Opioid misuse Prevention (STOP) Act was authored in part by Sens. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and Tom McInnis, R-Richmond, who spent nearly two years working on the bill. It implements new guidelines for prescribing and dispensing highly addictive prescription drugs, to ensure those medications are responsibly administered and not over-prescribed. It also requires universal registration and reporting by pharmacies to detect misuse and diversion while strengthening reporting requirements for prescription transactions.

The bill is supported by a host of law enforcement groups, physicians groups and treatment and recovery organizations, who agree it will produce more reliable prevention data, reduce overdoses and help save lives.

The budget passed by the Senate this week also includes $10 million for opioid and substance abuse treatment statewide, along with funding for multiple opioid rapid-response team pilot projects, additional emergency antidote drugs for overdose victims and upgrades to the Controlled Substance Reporting System.