Published On: April 14, 2016330 words1.9 min readCategories: ArticleTags: ,

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In a significant step forward on an issue NACDS has long supported, the House of Representatives passed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 on April 12.

The legislation takes into account the complexities inherent in the issue, and promotes collaboration among government agencies and healthcare stakeholders…

The legislation takes into account the complexities inherent in the issue, and promotes collaboration among government agencies and healthcare stakeholders to ensure patients have access to legitimately needed drugs, while also preventing diversion and abuse of prescription drugs

The Senate passed S. 483 on March 17, and the House previously passed a similar version in April 2015. The legislation will now head to President Obama’s desk for his consideration in the next step before enactment.

Here’s a quick summary of some of NACDS’ efforts on this important issue:

  • Immediately following passage of the legislation, NACDS issued a press release with a timeline that reflects key steps in the legislation’s journey to becoming enacted.
  • As part of a concerted effort last year to heighten media awareness about the issue in Florida, The Tampa Tribune published a joint NACDS and U.S. Pain Foundation op-ed that stated, “…the complex and intertwined issues of prescription drug abuse and access are not receiving the comprehensive approach that they deserve and require.”
  • Showing the often untold story of patients who have difficulty accessing their medications, NACDS collaborated with Drug Store News on creating a microsite comprised of personal stories of people living with pain. In an article on NACDS.org, U.S. Pain Foundation’s president said, “…working together is a huge part of anybody’s pain journey, and the pharmacist is part of our team.”
  • For a more comprehensive look—and additional perspective—on NACDS’ multifaceted engagement on this issue, access the Drug_Abuse tag on NACDS.org.

NACDS will continue advocacy on this challenging issue and discuss this latest promising development with the NACDS Board of Directors at the NACDS Annual Meeting this weekend.