As the opioid epidemic rages on with a record 72,000 overdose deaths in 2017, President Trump recently signed into law SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act – an opioid-related legislation package which passed in Congress by a wide bipartisan margin. This package takes a step toward combatting the opioid epidemic by increasing grant monies, expanding access to prevention programs and treatment services, and working to prevent interstate mail-based trafficking of fentanyl.
Although the opioid crisis represents the most critical public health crisis since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic—with the number of opioid-related overdose deaths increasing by record-breaking numbers every year—there has been no appreciable effort by the pharmaceutical industry to mitigate the risks associated with the misuse of highly-addictive products.
The passage of this bill with broad bipartisan support indicates that the federal government will move forward with efforts to tackle the crisis – even without substantial input or action from pharmaceutical industry.