PHARMACIST STEVE

Congress is expected to make a major push in the next few months to approve dozens of bipartisan bills to combat the opioid epidemic.

But missing from this effort is a bill to reverse a 2016 law that weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration’s power to go after suspicious drug distributors.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee is expected to hold its third legislative hearing on opioid legislation on Wednesday. The committee will consider more than 20 bills that introduce reforms to Medicare and Medicaid to combat the opioid epidemic. On the same day, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on major opioid legislation.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., introduced a bill last year in the Senate to restore DEA powers to fight suspicious drug wholesalers. The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which means it will not be part of the Senate HELP package.

McCaskill told the Washington Examiner that the bill has not gotten any Republican support.

“I have tried, but so far I have not been able to find anybody who has been willing to cosponsor it, and it is hard to get one across the finish line if you don’t have some Republicans that are willing to help,” McCaskill said.

The bill aims to strengthen DEA enforcement on distributors and wholesalers that give powerful painkillers to corrupt pharmacies called “pill mills. “

The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 weakened that power after extensive lobbying from the pharmaceutical and drug distribution industry, according to an investigation from the Washington Post. The investigation forced Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., a major proponent of the legislation, to withdraw his name as nominee to become President Trump’s drug czar.

McCaskill said back in November that she wants to undo the damage done by the 2016 law that was passed by Congress and signed by former President Barack Obama.

The bill will also not be included in the collection of more than 40 bills being considered before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“We continue to work with DEA regarding possible legislative changes,” a House aide told the Washington Examiner. “It’s imperative we get this policy right, and we are doing our due diligence.”

The bills aim to focus on different facets of fighting the opioid epidemic, from treatment to enforcement tools. The legislative hearing on Wednesday will focus on legislation that aims to introduce reforms to Medicare and Medicaid to better curb opioid overprescribing and abuse.

Energy and Commerce leadership hope to get the bills through the House before the Memorial Day recess, while no timetable has been set yet for the Senate legislation.

The Senate HELP legislation intends to introduce reforms that include incentives to develop nonaddictive painkillers. It also aims to clarify Food and Drug Administration authority to require manufacturers to give simple and safe options to dispose of unused opioids.

It would also update DEA regulations to improve treatment access for people in rural areas, chiefly through telemedicine.

When asked about why her legislation was not included in this major legislative effort, McCaskill responded, “It’s really fascinating, isn’t it? I don’t get it.”