From the Office of Senator Johnny Isakson:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today cosponsored legislation to help fight the opioid crisis and improve the federal government’s response to this epidemic that is devastating communities across Georgia and the nation.

The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, S.2680, would facilitate greater communication and improve data sharing across government agencies involved in responding to the opioid epidemic.

“My own family has been touched by the devastating consequences of opioid addiction,”said Isakson, referring to the 2016 death of a grandson. “As a country, we need to treat addiction as the devastating disease that it is, and we need to help people struggling with addiction get the treatment they need. I appreciate the partnerships by Congress, the administration, healthcare agencies, states and so many other groups that are coming together to tackle this challenge.”

The Opioid Crisis Response Act was developed based on months of expert testimony in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Isakson, a member of the committee, and his colleagues worked to find ways to improve the federal response to the opioid crisis and help prevent more Americans from succumbing to the epidemic.

The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018:

• Spurs development of non-addictive painkillers as well as other strategies to prevent, treat and manage pain by providing additional flexibility for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Encourages responsible drug-prescribing behavior by clarifying existing FDA authority and requiring manufacturers to give patients simple and safe options to dispose of unused opioids.
• Authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based in Atlanta to expand its work to combat the opioids crisis, including providing grants for states, localities and tribes to collect data and implement key prevention strategies.
• Seeks to improve detection and seizure of illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, through stronger FDA and Customer Border Protection coordination. It also provides support for states to improve their Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and encourages data sharing between states so doctors and pharmacies can know if patients have a history of substance misuse.
• Strengthens the health care workforce to increase access to mental health services in schools and provide substance abuse treatment in underserved areas.
• Addresses the effects of the opioid crisis on infants, children and families, including by helping states improve plans of safe care for infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and addressing child and youth trauma.
• Authorizes the Department of Labor to address the economic and workforce impacts for communities affected by the opioid crisis through grants targeted at workforce shortages for the substance use and mental health treatment workforce, and to align job training and treatment services.
• Updates Drug Enforcement Administration regulations to improve treatment access for patients in rural and underserved areas through telemedicine, while maintaining proper safeguards.
• Allows hospice programs to safely and properly dispose of unneeded controlled substances to help reduce the risk of diversion and misuse.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, along with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committee’s leading Democrat.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

Additional Isakson actions to combat opioid abuse:
Isakson is working to improve the federal government’s response to opioid abuse on a number of fronts.

Under Isakson’s leadership in the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the Senate passed the VA Prescription Data Accountability Act, H.R.1545, to allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to securely share data with state prescription drug monitoring programs for patients who are prescribed opioids by VA providers, including both veterans and their dependents. It was signed into law Nov. 21, 2017.

The Caring for Our Veterans Act pending before the Senate now would also strengthen opioid prescription guidelines for the VA.

In December, Isakson co-authored an op-ed entitled, “Cooperating to Reduce Opioid Abuse, Harm to Vets,” highlighting partnerships in the state and nation underway to help fight the opioid epidemic with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.

The 2016 21st Century Cures Act, which was supported by Isakson, included provisions to advance biomedical research and speed the development of new, safe and effective treatments and cures for patients, and provided $1 billion for state opioid prevention and treatment efforts.

Legislation background:
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, led by Alexander and Murray, has held a series of six hearings since 2017 to examine ways the federal government can be a better partner for states and communities on the front lines of the opioid crisis.

On Oct. 5, 2017, the Senate health committee held the first hearing of the series which focused on the federal response to the opioid crisis, and on November 30, 2017, the committee heard from witnesses representing states, communities, and providers on what they are doing and what, if any, new authorities they need from the federal government to fight the crisis. On Jan. 9, 2018, the committee heard from author Sam Quinones, who has extensively researched and written about the opioid crisis. On Feb. 8, 2018, the committee held a hearing focused on listening to the needs of children and families affected by the opioid crisis. On Feb. 27, 2018, the committee held a hearing on the role technology and data play in responding to the crisis. On March 8, 2018, the committee heard from some of the nation’s governors about how they are coming up with innovative solutions and leading the fight against the unique problems their states face in the midst of the opioid crisis.