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National Take Back Initiative
On Saturday, April 30 2022, from 10am-2pm, the DEA will coordinate a collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies focused on removing potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets. This national take-back day will provide a unified opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and any other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction and will bring national focus to the issue of pharmaceutical drug abuse. The program provides an opportunity for law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and business communities to collaborate and establish a safe collection site for all Americans, regardless of where they reside. During this event, the Plainfield Police Department will act as a host collection site and the following protocols will be followed. Controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter substances will be collected. This event is for patients and their families to dispose of unwanted medications. Pharmacies, hospitals, and physicians may NOT drop off their excess medications for disposal. Any solid dosage from pharmaceutical products (tablets, capsules, etc.) in consumer containers may be accepted. Small (pint size) bottles of cough syrups may be accepted if they are sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage There are however items that absolutely will not be accepted. Illicit illegal substances such as marijuana or heroin are not part of this initiative and will not be accepted. Also, needles will not be accepted. Anyone having further questions regarding the event is encouraged to contact Officer Brett Keag (815)267-7207.
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bills allow pharmacists to administer preventive HIV meds, fentanyl test strips by gRace KInnIcutt capitol news Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – Legislation allowing pharmacists to administer or dispense preventive HIV medication and fentanyl testing strips were among health-related measures passed by the Illinois General Assembly during the final week of session. House Bill 4430 allows pharmacists to order and conduct testing and dispense pre- and post-exposure HIV medications to individuals who are at high risk for infection. The pharmacists would need to have a standing order issued by a licensed physician or county health department that would allow them to offer care for the individual seeking help. The medications, referred to as PrEP for the pre-exposure drug and PEP for the post-exposure one, are designed to mitigate the risk of HIV infection. Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, said it will help cut down on waiting times and provide “potentially lifesaving” care to thousands of Illinoisans. According to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, there are about 45,000 people living with HIV/ AIDS in Illinois and 1,300 people each year learn they have HIV or AIDS. The bill also lays out insurance reimbursement requirements for pharmacists offering the services. Sen. Jason Barickman, a Bloomington Republican, was the only GOP lawmaker from either chamber to vote yes for the measure. Barickman said the solution to the issue “may be imperfect,” but that Simmons has worked with the Illinois State Medical Society and the Illinois Pharmacists Association to find a solution to lower HIV exposure across the state. “The proposed solution is much better than the status quo that exists today,” Barickman said. The measure passed the Senate 37-12 with 10 Senators not voting and passed the House 72-30 with 12 members not voting. Throughout debate in both
chambers, Republicans raised concerns about legal, emancipated minors having access to the medication and receiving the medication on multiple occasions for their own personal use. In Illinois, a legal emancipated minor must be 16 years or older and have court documentation proving they are legally emancipated. Under the Consent by Minors to Health Care Services Act, if a minor 12 years of age or older who possibly comes into contact with any sexually transmitted disease can give consent to health care providers to prevent, diagnose or treat a potential disease. For an emancipated individual to receive HIV medical care from the pharmacist, under the Consent by Minors to Health Care Services Act, they must show the pharmacist documentation proving they are emancipated in order to receive the medical care they need. Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said the language leaves “too many loopholes” for minors, whether emancipated or not, to go to different pharmacies and refill their medications several times. But Simmons said it is unlikely that an individual will become addicted to the medication since it has no side effects, and the hypothetical scenario is impossible because the individual must receive lab testing before a prescription can be given. Under the bill, pharmacists are required to complete a training program that is related to HIV care before they can dispense the drugs. If an individual needs to get another prescription for the medication, follow-up lab tests must be done to determine if they are still at risk for infection or are HIV-positive, Simmons said. The bill still needs approval from Gov. JB Pritzker and would take effect Jan. 1, 2023, if signed.
fentanyl strips Passed unanimously by both chambers, House Bill 4556 expands access for pharmacists and other health care professionals to distribute fentanyl testing strips to help reduce opioid overdos-
es. The testing strips can detect fentanyl in counterfeit pills and drugs. The bill is designed to expand on the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act, passed in 2019. That law authorizes government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to create needle access programs aimed at reducing HIV and other bloodborne diseases. Programs are communitybased and provide a range of preventive services and educational information on overdose prevention and intervention, monitoring programs for opioids and other prescriptions, and safe drug disposal of unused medications. All testing supplies for fentanyl must be stored in a licensed pharmacy, hospital, clinic or other health care facility. Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said that many opioid deaths occur in people who did not know they were ingesting a substance that was “cut with fentanyl, a synthetic, cheap, and extremely deadly opioid.” According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 2,944 opioid overdose deaths in 2020 which was more than twice the number of homicides. There were also 19,451 emergency responses to opioid overdoses in 2020. Guzzardi noted that the bill won’t end the fentanyl crisis but
that it will provide young people who do experiment with drugs a measure of protection that could potentially save their life.
The measure still needs approval from Pritzker and would take effect immediately once signed into law.
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appellate court declines to block enforcement of vaccine, testing mandate by peteR HancocK capitol news Illinois
A state appellate court ruled this week that it will not block enforcement of the Pritzker administration’s mandate that certain categories of public employees either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing. The 2-1 ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeals upheld a Sangamon County judge’s decision on April 1 not to issue a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the policy. The decision involved three consolidated cases in which public employees are seeking to overturn the mandate. The cases include suits against Gov. JB Pritzker, various state agencies, the Pekin Fire Department and the Deland-Weldon school district. Pritzker first issued a vaccine mandate on Aug. 26, 2021, through an executive order that applied to health care workers, school employees, higher education personnel and students, and state employees who work in congregate facilities. The order also authorized other entities, both public and private, to enact their own vaccination and testing requirements. The employees sued to block enforcement of the order citing the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act which, among other things, makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone for refusing to receive any particular form of health care that they find contrary to their conscience. That law was originally enacted to shield health care workers from liability for refusing to perform or assist in abortions. During last year’s fall veto session, however, lawmakers passed an amendment to that law making a specific exception for health care measures that are intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That provision does not officially go into effect until June 1. But lawmakers inserted language in the measure stating the section “is a declaration of existing law” rather than a new enactment. In other words, the General Assembly said it was only clarifying something that was ambiguous in an existing law, which in this case involved the word “discriminate.” The Sangamon County circuit court cited that law in denying the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order, saying that even though it hasn’t taken effect yet, it can still be used as an aid in understanding the original
see ‘mandate’ page6
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‘mandate’ from page 5 statute. But the plaintiffs appealed, noting that the new law has not yet gone into effect while also arguing that even though the amendment claims to be a declaration of existing law, the legislature cannot retroactively change the meaning of an otherwise unambiguous statute. In their appeal, the plaintiffs cited a 2020 decision from the 2nd District Court of Appeals involving the same statute that said there was nothing ambiguous about the word “discriminate.” “To the contrary, the ordinary meaning of the word is set forth in its dictionary definition,” the 2nd District court wrote. That case involved a nurse in a public health clinic who claimed religious objections to providing family planning services or referring patients for abortions. In its ruling Wednesday, however, the 4th District appellate court said that simply because a word has a dictionary definition does not make its meaning within a statute unambiguous. In this case, the court said, it would only be discriminatory if an employer punished workers who refused to be vaccinated or tested as a matter of conscience but did not punish those who refused for other reasons. The vaccine and testing require-
ments, the court wrote, could actually be seen as merit-based policies because those who are vaccinated or tested are less likely to spread COVID-19 in the workplace. The plaintiffs also challenged the vaccine and testing mandates under the Illinois Department of Public Health Act, which gives that agency “supreme authority in matters of quarantine and isolation.” But the appellate court rejected that argument as well, saying that the employers in the three cases had not quarantined or isolated anyone, but had instead only threatened loss of employment. “To be fired is not to be quarantined or isolated from the community at large,” the majority wrote. The opinion was written by Justice Peter Cavanagh, with Justice James Knecht concurring. Justice Robert Steigmann wrote a dissenting opinion. He argued that the word “discriminate” has a clear and understandable meaning and that the legislature included in the statute numerous examples of the kinds of discrimination that are prohibited. He also argued that the 2021 amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscious Act could be used as an “interpretive aid” in understanding the original statute because he found nothing unambiguous about the original law.
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WILL county
JJc approves appointment of 10th president The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of the college’s 10th president, Dr. Clyne G.H. Namuo at the April 13 board meeting. Namuo will begin on July 1, 2022 and succeeds Dr. Judy Mitchell, who announced her retirement last year. In discussing Namuo’s appointment, Chairman Dan O’Connell shared that the board could not be more pleased to find a dynamic leader to continue JJC’s evolution and ongoing impact. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Namuo to the JJC community. He brings the right blend of higher education experience, vision, and thoughtful leadership to guide the college into its next chapter. We have every confidence that he will honor our past through a consciousness of our history and a keen eye toward building the college’s future,” said O’Connell. Dr. Namuo’ s appointment comes after a comprehensive seven-month national search that involved campus and external community participation. Namuo was selected as JJC’s next president for his proven record of visionary leadership, student and community engagement. Dr. Mitchell will remain in her role through June 30, 2022 when Dr. Namuo will assume full duties of president on July 1. Dr. Mitchell will support the presidential transition until her retirement on August 31, 2022. “I am incredibly honored and so very humbled to serve as the tenth president of JJC! I would like to thank the board for their confidence in me and want to thank everyone who participated in the search process,” Namuo said. “I am excited to get started and will work relentlessly in support of our increasingly diverse student body, our outstanding faculty and staff, and our resilient and remarkable surrounding communities. I am honored to lead such a historic institution and commit to working collaboratively to ensure that JJC continues to occupy a position of strategic strength and significance far into the future.” Dr. Namuo holds a doctorate of philosophy degree in Higher Education
Strategy from the University of Arizona’s Center for the Study of Higher Education, a master’s degree in information systems from San Diego State University, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Hawaii. Dr. Namuo most recently served as Interim President at Phoenix College, part of the Maricopa Community College system in Arizona. Prior, he served as the vice president of learning and chief academic officer at South Mountain Community College. At SMCC, he worked collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop a comprehensive academic plan that spawned a number of initia-
tives including an equity initiative, the creation of mediated classrooms, expansion of mobile technology across instruction, the creation of the construction trades institute, and more. The presidential search process consisted of a 16-member search committee led by Vice Chair Maureen Broderick and Trustee Nancy GarciaGuillen and consultants, the Pauly Group, a national search firm with over 30 years of experience in academic and executive leadership placement. The committee, comprised of community leaders and employees representative of the campus community was chaired by Dr. Nicole Whitehead,
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