State Delegate Joe Vogel from Montgomery County is sponsoring House Bill - 811 in the Maryland General Assembly. His proposed law would address Yates' concerns.
"We have an epidemic of fentanyl overdoses in our state right now and based on what we’ve learned in the process of drafting this bill, we could be significantly undercounting the number of cases we’re seeing here in our state," Vogel said.
In Maryland, fentanyl accounts for more overdose deaths than any other drug.
If the bill becomes law, it would be the first in the region and second in the country behind California.
"This would not only provide us with better and more timely data as to what we’re dealing with when it comes to the fentanyl overdose epidemic, but also it would empower patients with more information," Vogel explained.