Federal Legislation to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse Introduced to Senate

Aimed to address prescription drug misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths, the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (SB 348) was reintroduced in the United States Senate by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV). The bill includes a number of provisions aimed to prevent diversion and abuse and foster safe use of prescription drugs. Under the law, health care providers would be required to complete new training before obtaining a license to prescribe certain prescription pain killers. The implementation of consumer education on safe medication use would also be required. The bill also includes provisions for increased funding of state prescription monitoring programs. More information about the bill is available in a press release from the office of Senator Rockefeller. Similar legislation was introduced in 2011, but never came up for a vote in the Senate, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.