Sunday, October 09, 2016

McCaskill: Actions being taken to address opioid crisis

(From Sen. Claire McCaskill)

1,067
The # of Missourians who died of drug overdoses in 2014.

6
The # of times the Missouri State House has failed to take action on the opioid crisis since 2007.

Numbers speak for themselves. More prescription opioids are sold in Missouri than any other Midwestern state, and we have the 7th highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country. In 2010, more than 13,000 Missourians were hospitalized for opioid use.

opioids-crisis-in-missouri-infographic:


But despite these facts, our state legislature has refused to implement a statewide prescription drug monitoring program—a commonsense measure that every other state in the country has adopted.

In the absence of action from Jefferson City, I've been fighting to make sure Missouri communities are getting the help they need:

I recently launched an opioids information and resource page to help Missourians find nearby treatment centers, and to provide healthcare providers and advocates with information on monitoring programs

I added language to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act to ensure regional monitoring programs, like those found in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, have access to federal resources normally reserved for state governments
I toured the state with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who was appointed by President Obama to lead government efforts on heroin and opioid abuse in America.

And I've held hearings and townhalls with law enforcement, medical professionals, and Missouri families affected by the crisis.

For more information on opioid addiction or abuse, please visitwww.mccaskill.senate.gov/opioids.

Missouri communities are shouldering an unnecessary burden because of state inaction, but I won't let them shoulder it alone.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, right, I really want to further build up Big Brother, and further the War on (Some) Drugs, which probably kills even more people.

No thanks, I'm proud to be born and raised in the only state that's not monitoring our prescriptions, and is not so eager to make people suffer in pain without effective medication.

I truly worry a lot more about being denied needed drugs on the basis of this real problem, than that real problem itself. Anyone ever hear of "the cure is worse than the disease"?

Anonymous said...

Re: 8:40a
That is the most ironic thing I have read in a while...

"Anyone ever hear of "the cure is worse than the disease"?"

Anonymous said...

Just curious if there will be a post about this

http://www.joplinglobe.com/opinion/columns/our-view-a-nation-at-risk/article_66322361-5c0a-5933-891f-54e443e46d35.html

Anonymous said...

Indeed, the new treatment for chronic pain is "no painkillers for you, because you might abuse them".

Well, we can still get over the counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil), but those go only so far.

And, heck, it's got to be cheaper for the government, especially for those who eventually kill themselves in despair and don't require continued treatment.

(I know we're not entirely there yet, but it's happening. The DEA has already got doctors legitimately terrified of being thrown in prison for normal medical practices.)

Randy said...

To Anonymous 1:59- It's coming later tonight.