On the recordApril 14, 2016
In 2014, 28,000 Americans died from an overdose of opioid drugs, an annual total that has quadrupled since 1999. In Erie County, 11 people die per week from suspected opioid overdoses. Yet one in nine Americans with substance abuse problems-- less than one in nine--are currently receiving treatment for their disorder. One cause is a cap that limits the number of patients a doctor can treat with opioid treatment medications such as Suboxone. I have introduced legislation to raise these caps and expand prescribing authority to physician assistants and nurse practitioners, which is especially important in medically underserved communities. When treatment was approved for use in France without patient caps, the opioid overdose debt rate declined by 85 percent in 5 years. I urge my colleagues to support the TREAT Act, to give professionals the tools they need to treat addiction and our families new hope for recovery. ____________________
