IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 8 
Expressing the sense of Congress on the need to improve and expand training 
for future physicians on properly treating pain and prescribing opioids, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 29, 2019 
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. HARRIS, and 
Mr. BERA) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress on the need to improve 
and expand training for future physicians on properly 
treating pain and prescribing opioids, and for other pur-
poses. 
Whereas the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported more 
than an estimated 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016; 
Whereas 42,249 overdose deaths involved opioids generally, 
and over 20,000 of those deaths were due to fentanyl and 
synthetic opioids; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re-
ported a total of 214,881,622 opioid prescriptions dis-
pensed in 2016; 
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•HCON 8 IH 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re-
ported that 25 States and the District of Columbia saw 
statistically significant increases in overdose deaths from 
2015 to 2016; 
Whereas American medical schools train future doctors and 
other health care providers how to appropriately treat 
acute and long-term pain, and provide additional training 
for current practitioners through continuing medical edu-
cation on the same; 
Whereas one of the goals of the American Medical Associa-
tion’s Opioid Task Force is to enhance education and 
training; 
Whereas medical schools have begun integrating content re-
quired by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education 
to address substance abuse and pain management; and 
Whereas the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical 
Education has approved program requirements for addic-
tion medicine, and there are 45 addiction fellowships 
across the country with a goal of having 125 by 2025: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) medical colleges should, as part of their cur-
riculum, continue to improve and expand training 
for the Nation’s future physicians about properly 
treating pain and prescribing opioids, so that all 
providers graduate with a better understanding of 
proper prescribing of opioids; 
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(2) residency programs should devote specific 
focus to proper opioid prescribing for each specialty; 
(3) mid-level health care providers should re-
ceive additional training while in school as to appro-
priate prescribing practices for opioids; and 
(4) current practitioners should receive addi-
tional training in pain management and opioid pre-
scribing habits through continuing medical edu-
cation. 
Æ 
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