Photo Courtesy of DEA
The McCain Opioid Addiction and Prevention Act is modeled after laws in several states, including New York, that limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain.
By Forum Staff
A bipartisan bill recently introduced in the Senate would confine the supply of initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to seven days, U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) announced on Friday.
The John S. McCain Opioid Addiction and Prevention Act, named after the late Arizona senator who was the Republican lead of the measure last Congress, would create a seven-day prescription limit for opioids so that no more than a seven-day supply may be prescribed to a patient at one time for acute pain, such as a wisdom tooth removal or a broken bone. This would help restrict the excess supply of opioids and help minimize the risk of abuse, according to Gillibrand and Gardner, who also pointed out that the proposed law’s prescription limit would not apply to the treatment of chronic pain; pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice care, or other end-of-life care; or pain treated as part of palliative care.
Additionally, the bill would help reduce the amount of excess opioids by requiring medical professionals, as a part of their Drug Enforcement Agency registration, to certify that they will not prescribe an opioid as an initial treatment for acute pain in an amount that exceeds a seven-day supply. Medical professionals would also have to certify that they would not provide a refill. Under current federal law, a medical professional must register with the DEA in order to be allowed to prescribe a controlled substance in the United States. This registration must be renewed every three years.
“Too many families throughout New York and our country have suffered from the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic. No community has been left untouched, and we need to be proactive when it comes to ending this crisis,” the Empire State’s junior senator added. “One of the root causes of opioid abuse is the over-prescription of these powerful and addictive drugs. I’m proud to join with Senator Gardner to introduce bipartisan legislation that limits the over-prescription of opioids. This would help our communities combat opioid addiction, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to pass this bill.”
The McCain Opioid Addiction and Prevention Act is modeled after laws in several states. Currently, 15 states, including New York, limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain.
“As I’ve met with Coloradans impacted by the opioid epidemic, the recurring story is clear. Oftentimes, the first over-prescription spurs the devastating path of addiction,” Gardner said. “Over-prescriptions for pain management have allowed the opioid crisis to hit every corner of our communities, and this common-sense legislation establishes the appropriate protections to help prevent addiction in the first place.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are nearly two million Americans misusing prescription opioids; and each day, 41 people die from an overdose related to these painkillers. The CDC also found that in 2017, 68 percent of drug overdose deaths involved an opioid.
