Issue Position: Opioid Addiction

Issue Position

Opioid Addiction

The opioid epidemic affects the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth. Tim and the entire General Assembly are working to solve this serious issue. Medications are often prescribed for longer than necessary, resulting in unused medication being improperly disposed, illegally sold or abused. In Virginia, the most common drug overdoses are from prescription opioids. Tim is working to help stop overprescribing and to help end this epidemic.

Tim's legislation, HB 1885, directs physicians who prescribe opiate painkiller medication to a patient for longer than seven days to contact the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). This allows prescribing physicians to see what, if any, controlled substances the patient is currently taking. This new directive helps limit overprescribing of painkillers.

The HB 2161 bill, which Tim co-sponsored, establishes educational guidelines for training health care providers in the appropriate use of opioids safe prescribing practices with the goal of preventing the overprescribing of opioids.

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