Bill Keating: “I would like to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus). I rise today in support of this amendment, our…”

“I would like to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus). I rise today in support of this amendment, our amendment. It is an amendment that I believe will move the task force to consider the practice of coprescribing of overdose reversal drugs such as naloxone as part of the review of its best practices for pain management and for prescribing pain medication. Importantly, the medical community now realizes the need for having these important guidelines in place and having them being addressed, as over 80 percent of the AMA members have indicated they see the need for these guidelines now and the importance in terms of saving lives. As a former district attorney, I took a public health approach a decade and a half ago, starting an Anti-Heroin Task Force. At the time, in our State, two people, on average, were dying every day from these overdoses. In just the last 6 years, that number has increased to almost four people a day. As a Congressman, this hits really close to home to me because our latest stats in 2014 indicate that a quarter of the overdose deaths in Massachusetts occurred in counties in my district. Over 60 percent occurred in the cities of Fall River and New Bedford alone. In fact, nearly twice the statewide average in Cape Cod, where the highest percentage of per capita rate of opioid-related overdoses occurs, represents a significant part of the epidemic in our Commonwealth. Going forward, Mr.…”