Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Barton amendment. This amendment would require the FDA to create high- quality, evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines for acute pain. These would complement prescribing guidelines for chronic pain created in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Taken together, these guidelines would finally provide providers evidence-based recommendations on best practices for all types of pain. While the opioid epidemic has many origins, it is universally agreed upon that the treatment of pain over the latter half of the 20th century is a significant contributing factor. In recent years, efforts by this Congress and the public to reconcile addiction and chronic pain has had a real and positive impact. One of the most impacted communities are veterans, and in just the last few years, the VA has reported a remarkable decline in opioid prescriptions. Yet, the focus until very recently has been on chronic pain. Acute pain impacts more people and is responsible for a massive share of opioid prescriptions. The country needs evidence-based guidance on treatment of acute pain. FDA is armed with a trove of data on acute pain prescription rates and patterns. They are uniquely positioned to provide this needed guidance.…”