Education campaign for healthcare providers on opioid use disorder and the use of opioid agonist therapies during and after pregnancy, and the distribution of opioid antagonists at neighborhood health action centers.

This bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to develop and implement an education campaign for health professionals who provide care and support during and after pregnancy—including doctors, nurses, midwives, and doulas—about the safe use of medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The campaign would focus on the benefits of using approved medications such as methadone or buprenorphine, known as opioid agonist therapies, during pregnancy, and explain the risks of withdrawal for the birthing person, fetus, and newborn. The bill would also include guidance from professional medical organizations and the New York State Department of Health, as well as recommendations on culturally and linguistically appropriate communication as well as how to access opioid overdose reversal medications at no cost in the city. The bill would also require DOHMH to make opioid antagonists available to the public for free at the City’s Neighborhood Health Action Centers. These centers would offer training on how to use these medications safely and provide information about the risks of opioid use during and after pregnancy. DOHMH would be required to report every three years on its outreach efforts and the number and locations of opioid antagonists distributed through these centers.