Washington, D.C. – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on House passage of H.R. 4641, a bill to establish an inter-agency task force to determine best practices for pain management and prescribing opioids:
“With nearly 80 percent of heroin users having begun their journey to addiction with prescription opioids, we know prescription abuse is a big problem. Whether people start with opioids prescribed to them, take advantage of excess prescriptions from a family or friend, or find opioids somewhere else, with more prescriptions for opioids written each year than there are adults in America, we need to ensure providers have access to the tools they need to both treat pain and prevent opioid abuse.
“This legislation by Susan Brooks (IN-05) will provide much need guidance to doctors, pharmacists, hospitals, and others on opioid prescription and pain management at a time when best practices are neither properly disseminated or fully known. By getting those with the best knowledge of the problem together with relevant federal agencies, we can curb opioid addiction at the root.”