Rep. White Joins Fight Against Opioid Abuse
HARRISBURG—Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) joined her colleagues in passing legislation to combat opioid drug abuse in Pennsylvania.
In addition, she joined a bipartisan effort with Republican and Democrat Leadership to strengthen the fight against the opioid crisis by calling for a special session of the General Assembly on this important issue.
In 2014, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), approximately 2,500 Pennsylvanians died from overdose of opioid drugs. The victims came from every corner of the state. According to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), opioid overuse and abuse cost the Commonwealth more than $12.2 million in hospitalization costs annually as of 2012.
“Opioid abuse has had an especially hard impact in our communities,” White said. “It does not differentiate by race, region, religion or income.”
Beyond the public health toll, opioids are straining prisons and claims $50 billion annually in treatment and lost productivity.
To fight back against this, White joined her colleagues in passing several bills including:
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House Bill 1699, which would prohibit emergency providers from prescribing long-acting opioid painkillers in emergency rooms and place a limit on discharge prescriptions.
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House Bill 1737, which would ensure the safety of Pennsylvania’s drinking water by providing for the proper disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications. The bill passed unanimously May 16 and awaits Senate action.
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House Resolution 590, which would urge the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to establish and administer a task force on access to addiction treatment through health plans and other resources.
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House Bill 1698, which would require that insurance plans provide access to abuse-deterrent opioid drugs, which are products that contain abuse-deterrent properties and are designed to be harder to crush, cut, dissolve or inject.
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House Bill 1805, which would require doctors and pharmacists to attend three hours of opioid and addiction-related training prior to obtaining relevant licenses, and would further require two hours of ongoing training in every renewal period.
“While these actions are a step in the right direction, we need to do more,” White said. “That’s why I join with my colleagues in seeking to further examine this issue in a special session of the Legislature. We must do all we can to end this terrible opioid epidemic.”
Representative Martina White
170th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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