In a powerful op-ed in D.C.’s influential publication The Hill, Drug Store News editor-in-chief Rob Eder makes a resonant case for the complex issue of preventing prescription drug abuse while also ensuring patients who legitimately need the medications have access to them.
…this is a complex issue that needs a comprehensive approach…
Eder argues that current media coverage suggesting pharmacies are too-often denying legitimate prescriptions – particularly in Florida – is not telling the entire story related to this complex issue. Eder points to NACDS-backed legislation—the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act (S. 483/H.R. 471)—which would encourage collaboration among federal agencies to prevent diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, without denying access to patients who truly need the medications.
A conversation with NACDS spurred Drug Store News to create a microsite to serve as a platform for patients with chronic pain to tell their stories.
There is no question, this is a complex issue that needs a comprehensive approach—one that takes into account all aspects of the story of preventing abuse, while also ensuring patients have access to medications they truly need to improve their lives.
