Mitch Perry
Pam Bondi has joined more than 40 state attorneys general Wednesday on a letter to congressional leaders urging them to repeal a 2016 law to restore the ability of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to hold drug manufacturers and distributors of opioids more accountable.
“The opioid crisis is affecting families across our country and we need every tool available to combat this epidemic and save lives,” Florida’s attorney general said in a press release. “To ensure the Drug Enforcement Administration is able to stop the oversupply of dangerous prescription opioids, Congress must repeal the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016.”
Public officials reacted with alacrity to the 2016 measure following a Washington Post/60 Minutes report in October saying a handful of members of Congress, allied with the nation’s major drug distributors, prevailed upon the DEA and the Justice Department to agree to a more industry-friendly law, which undermined efforts to stanch the flow of pain pills.
More than two million Americans are addicted to prescription or illicit opioid. Since 2000, more than 300,000 have died from overdoses involving opioids.
According to the National Association of Attorneys General policy letter that Bondi has signed onto, the 2016 law effectively strips the DEA’s ability to issue an immediate suspension against a drug manufacturer or distributor whose unlawful conduct poses an immediate danger to public health or safety.
Florida joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general who recently sent subpoenas and demanded additional information about potentially unlawful practices in the distribution, marketing, and sale of opioids.
A bill from Missouri Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill seeks to repeal the Ensuring Patient Access and Effect Drug Enforcement Act of 2016. She will lead a roundtable discussion on the issue during a meeting of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee later this month.
Co-sponsors of the 2016 bill were U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Palm Harbor GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis. Bilirakis has been attacked by one of his Democratic 2018 opponents for his sponsorship of the bill. He responded in an op-ed found here.
One comment
Bill Monroe
November 16, 2017 at 12:11 pm
Dear Attorney General Pam Bondi,
I understand you have “joined more than 40 state attorneys general Wednesday on a letter to congressional leaders urging them to repeal a 2016 law to restore the ability of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to hold drug manufacturers and distributors of opioids more accountable.” Imagine that…Congress passed a bill, which prevents the DEA from going after manufacturers of opioids, and force them to be accountable.
My question Ms. Bondi, with all due respect, is if we have a seed-to-sale software program requirement tracking cannabis, which includes the use of signed transportation manifests, a state registry for those who use a plant as medicine, state required identification cards, two drivers per vehicle, heavy security requirements, why are you not imposing these same requirements on the pharmaceutical drug industry?
It makes sense based on the number of overdose deaths in the United States, and in some cases, such as in Jacksonville, Florida they are running out of morgue space.
In a relatively short period of time the Florida House and Senate, along with Governor Scott’s signature, were able to put in place a program, which requires tight regulatory controls on cannabis, which has NOT caused a single overdose death. Perhaps the giggles, and a destroyed bag of Doritos, but a plant with such heavy restrictions? Why not impose these same restrictions, regulations, use of a registry for pharmaceutical opioid users? Why not a Florida Board of Medicine busy at work creating emergency rules for the use, distribution, and diversion of opiates?
Granted, we the public do not have the full picture on the opiate problem, but just the same diversion of opiates occurs during transit and at the end shipping location. Cannabis dispensaries are required to have two drivers, signed transportation manifests, and Dispensary Managers perform daily audits, and are required to digitally move products from point A to point B when products are moved physically. Could we not impose these same requirements on pharmacies, pharmacists, and doctors?
I know. It’s hard and would be an inconvenience on the pharmaceutical industry, but people are dying of opioid overdose, and I am sorry, but fair is fair. Respectfully, take these same rules imposed on medical marijuana and repurpose them on opioids.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you and the Attorney Generals reflect on this post.
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