Drug & Device News

In May, Congress passed a slate of bills aimed at combating the growing opioid abuse problem in the United States. Unfortunately, no monies were allocated to implementing them. One of the measures is H.R. 4641, a proposed law whose fairly self-descriptive title is: “To provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and for other purposes.” It calls for the formation of a task force ' made up of patients, medical professionals, hospitals, pain advocacy groups, state medical boards and federal agencies ' which will be asked to consider current best practices in prescribing opioids and formulating improvements that will result in fewer overdoses and fewer people becoming addicted. According to a release issued by one of the sponsors of H.R. 4641, Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), the United States loses 78 Americans each day to opioid overdose. “We have to act now to stem the tide of opioid abuse in this country, and it starts with giving prescribers, law enforcement, treatment professionals and communities the tools they need to prevent opioid abuse, treat substance abuse and addiction, and prevent illegal drugs from being bought and sold,” said Brooks.