This week families touched by tragedy associated with the growing prescription drug epidemic are joining Congressman Brian Higgins and others in Washington, DC to hear about national efforts to fight the prescription drug epidemic and call for action.
“The data is strong but when the families tell their stories the need to address the growing prescription drug problem becomes even more compelling,” said Congressman Higgins. “The technology is available to make sure doctors and pharmacists have better and complete information on which prescriptions patients are receiving. We will be working closely and aggressively with the families to help fight for widespread electronic medical record implementation that provides real time information to help prevent addiction and abuse of prescription drugs.”
In a meeting arranged by Congressman Higgins, families involved with the “Save the Michaels of the World” group sat with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to discuss the federal government’s efforts in attacking prescription drug abuse. The forum provided an opportunity to determine ways that HHS can work with Save the Michael of the World to achieve common goals.
“We are extremely thankful to Congressman Higgins for assembling key folks handling federal prescription drug policy, and providing us the opportunity to deliver our stories on a national level,” said Avi Israel, the father of Michael David Israel. “There were certainly tears in the room and we think it is a critical eye-opener that ties the human urgency to the legislative process.”
(To access video click above or go to: http://youtu.be/QEY6tf1gNW4)
Congressman Higgins also spoke out about the issue in the Capitol. Below is the text of the Congressman’s speech on the House Floor:
Mr. Speaker, in a devastating trend the Centers for Disease Control is calling a public health epidemic, prescription drug death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990. In a strange twist of fate, addictive prescription painkillers are killing our children, causing a lifetime of pain for grief stricken families.
This week the parents of Michael David Israel join other parents on Capitol Hill to call for changes to prevent these tragedies.
The Centers for Disease Control is recommending the implementation of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, State-run electronic databases used to track the dispensing of controlled drugs to patients. States must move urgently to implement this technology and the federal government should support this common-sense transition to electronic medical records. Avi and Julie Israel and other parents in Washington this week have shown amazing strength despite unthinkable sorrow. Their pain will never be relieved but we have an obligation to move quickly to “Save the Michaels of the World.”
The total number of opioid pain relief prescriptions has skyrocketed over the past 20 years from just 76 million in 1991 to 210 million in 2010. Unintentional Drug Overdose due to Opioids is greater than the overdose rate due to heroin and cocaine, combined.
Congressman Brian Higgins is cosponsoring the ID MEDS Act, HR 4292, legislation to establish a nationwide interoperable prescription drug monitoring program that provides real time information to doctors and pharmacists to prevent drugs from getting into the wrong hands. Higgins also joined the Congressional Prescription Drug Abuse Caucus and committed to continue to work with “Save the Michaels of the World” and others on legislative proposals to achieve their goals.
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