SENATE MEMORIAL 76

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO COLLEGE OF PHARMACY TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE NEW MEXICO POISON AND DRUG INFORMATION CENTER AND TO REPORT FINDINGS.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has long realized the importance of understanding issues surrounding morbidity and mortality caused by poisons and drugs; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center is a public service program of the university of New Mexico health sciences center and is affiliated with the college of pharmacy; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center serves as a resource for the entire state; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center plays a significant role in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with accidental ingestion and overdose of poison and drugs; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to the public and to health professionals, with expert staff making treatment recommendations during potential poisonings and assisting emergency personnel during hazardous material incidents; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center takes on a role that no other group can fulfill; and

     WHEREAS, during fiscal year 2014, the center received twenty-seven thousand nine hundred thirty-five poison "help" calls; and

     WHEREAS, in many cases, the center helps prevent costly trips to the emergency department by providing life-saving treatment information over the phone; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico poison and drug information center is funded as a special project through the New Mexico legislature, and a source of sustainable funding for the center never has been clearly identified; and

     WHEREAS, a study of potential sustainable funding sources for the New Mexico poison and drug information center would assist the center in planning;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the university of New Mexico college of pharmacy be requested to convene a working group to study possible options to address sustainable funding for the New Mexico poison and drug information center; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representatives of the Bernalillo county department of substance abuse programs, the Albuquerque police department, Indian health service, the safe kids coalition, the superintendent of insurance, blue cross blue shield of New Mexico, united healthcare, the New Mexico pharmacist association, the New Mexico society of health systems pharmacists, the New Mexico chapter of the American college of emergency physicians, the New Mexico emergency medical technicians association, the New Mexico medical society, the New Mexico emergency nurses association, the New Mexico chapter of the association of public-safety communications officials, the New Mexico chapter of the national emergency number association and the united way of central New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group report its findings and recommendations of possible sustainable funding sources to the appropriate interim committee and the legislative finance committee by November 1, 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the legislative finance committee and the director of the university of New Mexico college of pharmacy.

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