NACDS lauds bill to mitigate opioid abuse
www.chaindrugreview.com/nacds-lauds-bill-to-mitigate-opioid-abuse/
Legislation limits initial scripts to seven days.
Steve Anderson
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) and Cory Gardner (R., Colo.) announced the introduction of the legislation, the John S. McCain Opioid Addiction and Prevention Act (S. 724), in a press release quoting NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson.
“The seven-day limit for initial acute-pain opioid prescriptions is consistent with pharmacists’ recommendations from the front lines of care, their collaboration with law enforcement, and the needs of chronic pain sufferers,” said Anderson. “Six in 10 Americans support this measure, with only two-in-10 indicating opposition, according to a January 2019 Morning Consult poll commissioned by NACDS. This bill will help prevent addiction and help prevent unused medications from falling into the wrong hands. Our support reflects pharmacies’ longstanding commitment to serve as part of the solution.”
NACDS has noted that the opinion research reflects consistent support for this strategic approach across political ideologies, and that support is particularly strong among seniors. Furthermore, seven-in-10 voters support “advancing policies that leverage pharmacies’ role as working partners for stronger and safer communities _ such as working to address the opioid-abuse epidemic.” CDC notes that, for acute pain, “three days or less will often be sufficient; more than seven days will rarely be needed.”
The bill is consistent with one of NACDS’ priority public policy recommendations to help further address the opioid abuse epidemic. NACDS’ recommendations relate to initial prescription limits for acute pain; prescription drug monitoring plans (PDMP); drug disposal; and mandatory electronic prescribing.
The legislation would build on the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), enacted in 2018, which is consistent with all of NACDS’ recommendations and which was particularly helpful in requiring electronic prescribing for Schedule II through V controlled substances prescriptions covered under Medicare Part D to help prevent fraud, abuse and waste _ with limited exceptions to ensure patient access. The legislation also is consistent with the White House’s 2019 National Drug Control Strategy, which NACDS welcomed in February.
In addition to advancing its public policy recommendations, NACDS and pharmacies maintain longstanding and ongoing initiatives to prevent opioid abuse, including compliance programs; advancing e-prescribing; drug disposal; patient education; security initiatives; fostering naloxone access; stopping illegal online drug-sellers and rogue clinics; and more. NACDS’ Chain Pharmacy Community Engagement Report indicates that opioid abuse prevention stands as one of the top priorities for NACDS members among their community engagement initiatives.
We have all seen/read the “off the rails” proposed bill by Senators Gillibrand and Gardner and here we have the NACDS ( National Association of Chain Drug Stores… STRONGLY endorsing this lame opiate bill that many people will believe will do much harm … especially to those who will be the new chronic pain pts of tomorrow.
NACDS represents the 40, 000 odd chain pharmacies… that is about 60%-70% of all community (retail) pharmacies. Just another reason that pts should start supporting the local independent pharmacies http://www.ncpanet.org/home/find-your-local-pharmacy here is a link to find a local independent pharmacy by zip code
We have a serious and dramatically growing pharmacist surplus… it is reported that the 140 odd pharmacy schools are graduating 15,000/yr new pharmacists and the market place is claimed to only have a need for 10,000. We have 5000 new graduate pharmacists looking for jobs that don’t exist. So these chain pharmacists are typically being told that unless you do what you are told – by the chain employer – we have a “pile” of pharmacists’ applications that would gladly take their job.
Most of these new graduates have six figure student loans that and after to start repaying these loans at 6-9 months after graduation.
For those of who you say that you are being treated “wonderfully” by the chain store that you patronize, in reality you are only one corporate policy and procedure change or one Rx dept staffing change for everything that has been going wonderfully to GO SOUTH…literally OVERNIGHT.
Filed under: General Problems
We have similar things happening to nurses. We are told there is a nursing shortage yet employers are running so many nurses out of a job while changing to 12 hour shifts then cutting back number of nurses working to below safe staffing. This was my dream as a young person but as you have a family and age to caring for a declining family member you can not work unlimited OT to fill the vacancy. Nor can you supervise staff under you as they only do 8 hour shifts but you are responsible for covering their work. You cannot preschedule time off for continuing education because they do not allow you to know your requested time off until after the lower cost enrollment is over and sometimes not until a week before when all desirable classes are filled. I feel betrayed and hopeless. My daughter who went into nursing earns half what I did and has fewer benefits. She is working in mental health as I did with as hard a population as I had. More education? She went to the same school as I did. I was able to pay as I went, it was a strain and I made sacrifices. She is still paying of student debt as she goes. Long story. Wish I could get my pain under control so I could be outside their doors protesting this BS. I fear Facebook and these social media sites make people feel they are making a difference. I know it takes bodies at their door.
What percentage of the 7-Day scripts are going back for a refill?
I wonder if the pharmacy group is anticipating an increase profits they will generate from refilling a likely high percentage of repeat Scripts due to the 7 day limit. Just another Cash Cow for them.
By the way, what wisdom is law enforcement having to contribute to a recommendation on an initial script for acute pain? Are they suddenly medical professionals as well?
^^^This^^^ was the first thing that popped into my head – more profit. Of course, they would endorse a bill that has a huge financial incentive for them in return. Just absolutely sickening.
“NACDS has noted that the opinion research reflects consistent support for this strategic approach across political ideologies, and that support is particularly strong among seniors.”
Oh great: first we have ignorant, headline-grabbing politicians dictating our health care, now it’s decided by public opinion. How ’bout these morons try using SCIENCE to decide medical policy? They could start with last year’s BMJ article on the treatment of acute pain: (https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.j5790) It clearly shows you can pretty much stuff somebody to the gills with pain meds (i.e. adequately treat their pain) for the first coupla weeks; the problems arise when you get out to longer term & multiple refills.
Moreover, they also reiterate the fact that under treatment of acute pain (which is rampant now) “increases the risk of pseudoaddiction, chronic pain, and, potentially, overdose.” So these zealot idiots are actually increasing the dangers of overdose, plus of creating a whole new population of chronic pain sufferers (not that they care, of course).
medical policy by popular opinion. Frigging brilliant.
How they love their little dramas and fantasies. I understand Disney owns FOX now, …sounds right.