AHA voices support for six House bills to address the opioid epidemic

The AHA today voiced support for six bills to address the opioid epidemic pending before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The legislation would require the Government Accountability Office to report on opioid use disorder treatment availability and need (H.R. 4982); establish federal grants to implement co-prescribing of overdose reversal drugs in areas experiencing significant opioid abuse and deaths (H.R. 3680); reauthorize residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women and provide grants for states to address opioid dependency in infants (H.R. 3691); require GAO to report on the prevalence of neonatal abstinence syndrome and Medicaid coverage for the condition (H.R. 4978); permit schedule II prescriptions to be partially filled in certain circumstances (H.R. 4599); and provide for more stringent Food and Drug Administration review of new opioids without abuse-deterrent properties, pediatric opioid labeling recommendations and prescriber education recommendations (H.R. 4976).