To require a study and report on policy and regulatory changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic.

Bill: 115-hr-5914
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11]
Introduced: 2018-05-22
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Congressional oversight

Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Drug, alcohol, tobacco use

Government studies and investigations

Health care coverage and access

Health programs administration and funding

Prescription drugs

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2018-05-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-05-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on health care policy changes that may have contributed to the rise in opioid overdoses and deaths over the last 10 years. </p> <p>The report must include an examination of: </p> <ul> <li>federal decisions relating to pain management strategies, </li> <li>state prescription drug monitoring programs, </li> <li>prescribing limitations, and</li> <li>pain medications with and without abuse-deterrent formulations.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5914 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 22, 2018 Mr. Meadows introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To require a study and report on policy and regulatory changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic.

1. GAO study and report on policy changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a study and submit a report to Congress on health care policy changes that may have contributed to the increase in opioid overdoses and deaths during the 10 years preceding the date of enactment of this Act. Such study shall include— (1) a review of health care-related legislative, administrative, and judicial decisions by officers and employees of the Federal Government that have affected access to pain management strategies with an emphasis on pharmaceuticals; (2) an analysis of what is known about the costs and benefits, whether financial or nonfinancial, of reversing or revising such decisions individually or in combination, including whether the reversals or revisions would be expected to achieve a reduction in abuse of, addiction to, overdose on, and death from opioids; (3) an analysis of the differences among State-based prescription drug monitoring programs, including an analysis of what is known about the effects of such differences on monitoring for abuse of, addiction to, overdose on, and death from opioids; (4) an analysis of what is known about positive and negative impacts that prescribing limitations, both State and Federal, have on patient medical outcomes, including for chronic pain patients; and (5) an analysis of what is known about the costs and benefits to payers of using abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid pain medications, compared to opioid pain medications without abuse-deterrent features.