Grassley: Congress, nonprofits and American people can slow opioid epidemic

Some issues permeate society without regard to who you are or where you come from. Opioid addiction is one of those issues.

Chances are that you or someone close to you is personally affected by this epidemic. Opioid addiction is bringing unlikely allies together in the fight against it. With continued cooperation in Congress and help from nonprofit organizations and the American people, we can limit its impact and significantly slow its progression.

In 2015, an estimated 2 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and more than 33,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 12 million Americans ages 12 and older misused prescription pain medication in 2016. What’s even more alarming is that prescription opioids are often the catalyst for addiction to other drugs, including heroin. Three out of four new heroin users start out using prescription drugs.

One contributing factor has been the number of prescriptions written for opioids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain relievers in 2012. That’s enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills. Prescription opioid sales in America have increased by 300 percent since 1999 despite the fact that there has not been an overall change in the amount of pain individuals report. However, there is a silver lining. The American Medical Association recently reported a 22 percent decrease in opioid prescriptions between 2013 and 2017. Every state has seen a decline, but more needs to be done.

Bills I’ve worked on tackle issues ranging from closing loopholes that allow opioid traffickers to avoid prosecution, keeping families together while parents seek treatment and rehabilitation, and expanding telehealth opportunities in Medicare so those battling addiction in rural areas can access the help they need. One of these bills, the Fighting the Opioid Epidemic with Sunshine Act, builds upon the oversight work I’ve championed for more than a decade by requiring pharmaceutical companies to report payments made to nurse practitioners and physicians assistants to the Open Payments database. This will increase transparency about any potential conflicts of interest.

There’s no question that opioid abuse and addiction is a serious problem in Iowa and throughout the nation. There’s no quick fix. But there are measures that Congress can take to curb the cycle of addiction and help improve the lives of those impacted by opioid and other substance abuse. I’m proud of the bipartisan work my colleagues and I have already accomplished, but also understand there’s still a lot to be done. That’s why I’ll continue to pursue solutions for the people of Iowa who are suffering under the heavy weight of addiction.

—Sen. Charles Grassley, R-IA, is a member of the judiciary and agriculture committees in the Senate.