National Governors Association Presents Bipartisan Opioid Plan [UPDATED]

UPDATED Feb. 25 9 a.m..: On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow doctors to instruct pharmacists to only partially fill opioid prescriptions. The group said many Americans who abuse opioids receive pills from friends and relatives, thus the effort to reduce the amount of excess pills in medicine cabinets. Here's a video of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, a primary sponsor of the legislation, asking Indiana State Health Commissioner Ann Maxwell to provide more information about opioid abuse.

By Jonathan Springston, Associate Managing Editor, AHC Media

The National Governors Association (NGA), in its effort to combat opioid painkiller addiction and abuse, on Feb. 18 released bipartisan recommendations calling for federal action to support states as they work to bolster education for healthcare providers, expand access to treatment for addiction, and strengthen the public safety response.

The NGA on Monday met with the White House to present its recommendations on this and a variety of other issues. While President Obama appears to recognize there is a problem and supports bipartisan solutions to solve it, his remarks indicated a cautious stance.

“The reason I raise the general issues of public health is that if we go to the doctors right now and say, ‘don't overprescribe’ without providing some mechanisms for people in these communities to deal with the pain that they have or the issues that they have, then we're not going to solve the problem,” the president said during a Q&A session. “Because the pain is real. The mental illness is real. In some cases, addiction is already there. In some cases, these are underserved communities when it comes to the number of doctors and nurses and practitioners.”

Later in the day, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, and American Medical Association Chair-elect Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, released a joint statement on behalf of the NGA reiterating the group’s position. Specifically, the NGA agrees on drug monitoring programs, the need for more education, and prioritizing treatment for addiction.

“It is time to put an end to this epidemic’s hold on our country,” the statement concluded. “Many states have already taken steps, and many physicians and medical societies have partnered in those efforts. But collectively, we must do more. We must demonstrate the leadership it takes to make meaningful changes that will have a lasting impact. Not only is it our job, as governors and physicians, but also our responsibility to the American people.”

Throughout the first quarter of 2016, AHC Media has been closely following this issue. The January issue of ED Legal Letter outlined the problem and the February issue of ED Management took a closer look at proposed solutions to combat it. The March issue of Medical Ethics Advisor weighs the ethical boundaries of opioid “pain agreements” while the March issue of Primary Care Reports reviews safe strategies for prescribing opioids. Also available is a detailed webinar about safe opioid use as it applies to the CMS CoP hospital requirements.