Pat Toomey

We commend Senator Toomey for identifying the opioid issue as a top priority and appreciate Congress' commitment to holding this hearing.

My legislation, which Senator Casey has cosponsored, will not only help individuals battling addiction get treatment.

I would welcome any leverage or help from legislature in getting people in.

Thank you to both Senators for your advocacy, for dragging this problem out in the light of day where we can have this kind of discussion.

Thank you very much, Doctor. My last question is for Ms. Potts.

My understanding is, the FDA recently approved an indication for the use of OxyContin to treat severe pain in patients age 11 to 16 who may suffer from cancer or other very serious and painful conditions.

Thank you, Dr. Kabazie.

The legislation Senator Toomey is requesting on a lock-in for medication, and I would like to second that also.

Senator Casey, anything else?

Thank you. I want to ask a question about the Overutilization Monitoring System, which sounds like it might indeed be helpful in spotting excessively high consumption of opioids.

I have introduced bipartisan legislation, the Stopping Medication Abuse and Protecting Seniors Act.

I would like to thank Senator Toomey for convening this hearing and also thank Senator Casey for attending.

Thank you, Senator Toomey and Senator Casey, for your leadership on this issue.

I took my first OxyContin when I was 13 years old.

Stopping this epidemic and healing our communities will require a three-prong approach that I am pursuing as chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care.

I want to ask anybody who would like to ask a question or make a comment to approach the mics on either side of the room.

A vast majority of heroin addicts actually were initially addicted to prescription opioids.

Yet another reason why it would be good to get away from the fee-for-service payment model that we generally have.

Is it your view, though, that prescription painkiller diversion is still a serious problem despite this?

Thank you for shining a spotlight on this devastating epidemic that we have in our region and across the country.

Senator Toomey, your bill on NASPER is certainly going to be helpful in helping us with interstate medication diversion.

The Stop Medication Abuse and Protecting Seniors Act to me is a very good thing.

Thank you very much, Senators Toomey and Casey, for inviting me here to speak with you today about the opioid epidemic in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Ending the epidemic of heroin addiction will require changes in the practice of medicine, government regulations, and societal views.

The Stopping Medication Abuse and Protecting Seniors Act of 2015 is one such proposal that has been introduced in by Senators Toomey (R-PA), Brown (D-OH), Portman (R-OH), Kaine (D-VA), and Casey (D-PA).