By Healthcare Facilities Today

The New Hampshire state House of Representatives voted 289-48 in support of a bill that requires health care facilities to develop drug testing policies for employees, according to an article on the Concord Monitor website. 

The bill was introduced in response to a hepatitis C outbreak started by an Exeter Hospital employee. A hospital technician who knew he was infected with hepatitis C, was stealing and injecting himself with the painkiller fentanyl then returning the tainted syringes to the hospital, the article said. He was sentenced to 39 years in prison for infecting more than 45 people in eight states. 

The bill requires all licensed health care facilities in the state to implement drug-free workplace policies and must test employees where a "reasonable suspicion exists." Any employees, contractors or agents who work directly with clients will be subject to the policies. 

Under the law, each facility can craft its own policy that must include: Education for health care workers, procedures for monitoring storage and distribution of controlled substance inventory, procedures for co-working reporting, processes for investigating, reporting and resolving drug misuse and several other requirements, the article said,

Read the article.