DAVIS' OPIOID PRESCRIPTION VERIFICATION ACT TO COMBAT OPIOID EPIDEMIC PASSES HOUSE

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) today announced that his bill, the Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021, H.R. 2355, which will reduce prescription shopping and curb sales of illegally obtained opioids, passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 410-15. You can find the roll call of the vote here.

You can watch Rep. Davis give remarks on the House floor about the Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021 here.

This bill builds on the successes in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act signed into law by President Trump in 2018 by incentivizing electronic prescribing of opioids and encouraging the full use of state's existing prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) to help facilitate informed and responsible dispensing of controlled substances.

The Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021 was inspired by a meeting Davis had with the Normal Police Department after a case they worked where prescription shoppers illegally obtained over 300 opioid pills that would be sold on the black market, contributing to the opioid crisis.

While the bill, as introduced, encouraged states to implement protocol for opioid prescriptions, similar to the federally mandated ID check on Sudafed-type drugs that can be used to make deadly methamphetamines, it was amended during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup process to encourage the expanded use of electronic prescribing which is an effective tool to combat illicit sales of opioids, and curb prescription shopping. Under current law, since January 2021, opioids prescribed under Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage, are already subject to this e-prescribing requirement, this bill will encourage the expansion of e-prescribing to all opioid patients.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "PDMPs are one of the most promising tools available to address prescription opioid misuse and abuse." Read more on their importance to combatting the opioid epidemic here.

"Overdose deaths have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it even more critical than ever that law enforcement and health officials have the tools they need to combat drug abuse, including opioid abuse," said Rep. Davis. "The Opioid Prescription Verification Act, inspired by a meeting I had with the Normal Police Department a few years ago, would better train pharmacists to verify identities to prevent pharmacy shopping, deter individuals from pharmacy shopping for prescriptions, and encourage the full use of electronic prescription drug monitoring programs.

"My bill will ultimately help doctors and pharmacists track the prescriptions a patient has received and ensure they cannot be altered or copied and used multiple times in an illicit manner. We need to do more to combat this terrible opioid crisis, and H.R. 2355 will help do just that, saving lives in the process."

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