Will Prescription Drug Bill Reduce Opioid Abuse?

May 18,2016

A new prescription drug bill was passed by the House last Wednesday, just a few weeks after pop icon Prince’s sudden death. While Prince’s cause of death is not yet known, sources close to him report that he was addicted to Percocet, which he began taking to treat a chronic hip problem.

The prescription drug bill, which passed 412-4, allots for an interagency task force to review and update best practices in pain management, with the goal of reducing opioid addiction.The task force will include officials from several organizations, including Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

According to the CDC, deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled in the U.S. since 1999. More than 165,000 people died of opioid overdoses from 1999 to 2014. Most of these fatal overdoses involve the drugs Methadone, Oxycodone (found in Percocet) and Hydrocodone.

“The sheer number of people who succumb to prescription drug addiction is a tragedy. It’s high time our leaders dealt with the issue and put a plan together to fight this epidemic,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

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DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.