President signs legislation to address opioid epidemic

President Obama July 22 signed into law the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524), legislation designed to help stem the epidemic of opioid abuse through education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The bill incorporates several key AHA-endorsed measures, including the creation of a multi-agency task force with a hospital representative that will develop best practices for prescribing and pain management; more stringent pre-market review of new opioids by the Food and Drug Administration; increased access to opioid overdose reversal drugs and medication-assisted treatment; and expanded research and treatment for vulnerable populations. For more on the legislation, as well as recent actions by the administration and AHA to combat the opioid abuse epidemic, see the July 14 AHA Special Bulletin.