Murray Calls Obama Administration Announcement on Opioid Epidemic “Strong Step” Forward, Urges Continued Work
Administration announcement comes as Murray hears from Washington state families, communities about opioid crisis
Murray to continue bipartisan work in Senate on legislation to prevent and treat opioid abuse
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U. S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the Obama Administration’s announcement of measures to tackle the opioid epidemic, including efforts to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, prevent overdose deaths, and support community prevention efforts.
“I’ve heard from family after family in Washington state about the pain the opioid epidemic has brought to our communities—and they make clear that this has gone on for too long and has to stop. I’m pleased that today, the Obama Administration has announced strong steps to help ensure communities have more tools and resources to treat those who are struggling and prevent this epidemic from spreading further. We’ve also made bipartisan progress in the Senate toward policies that would further strengthen treatment and prevention, and I’m committed to continued work with the Administration and all of my colleagues to help families and communities by putting an end to the hardship this crisis is causing.”
Background on Senator Murray’s work to combat the opioid epidemic in Washington state:
Senator Murray recently heard from families and community leaders in Yakima about the impact of the opioid epidemic in Washington state, and earlier this month announced new funding for community prevention efforts in Washington state. She is currently working with Democrats and Republicans in the HELP Committee on a series of bipartisan bills that would encourage prevention and treatment of opioid addiction within the health care system. These bills passed in Committee on March 16, 2016 and are awaiting floor action. Information on each of these bills can be found below.
· Expanding access to medication assisted treatment: The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT Act) would expand access to effective, evidence-based treatments for opioid addiction. In recognition of the growing crisis of opioid addiction, the TREAT Act would allow qualified providers to prescribe buprenorphine to more patients, and also allow qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine.
· Helping states develop and improve robust prescription drug monitoring programs: The National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Reauthorization Act (NASPER) would provide grants to states to maintain, improve, and expand their prescription drug monitoring programs, which help to prevent inappropriate dispensing and use of prescription opioids.
· Preventing overdose deaths: The Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act (CSLA) would expand access to Naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. It would encourage doctors to prescribe Naloxone along with opioid prescriptions and make Naloxone more widely available in federal health settings. CSLA would also help states establish co-prescribing guidelines, to support the training of health care providers and patients who may need to use Naloxone.
· Caring for opioid-dependent newborns: The Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act would strengthen existing “plan of safe care” requirements under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act for infants born dependent on opioids and other substances. The Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act would strengthen this requirement by ensuring that the plan of safe care protects the safety and well-being of children, addresses the health and mental health needs of children and families, and provides referrals to and delivery of appropriate services to the child and family. The legislation would ask states to report on the number of plans of safe care developed and require the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor state policies and procedures in this area.
For more information on the Obama Administration’s announcement, click here.
