Fighting Opioid Addiction in Missouri
Recently in the state legislature, my colleagues and I took action to fight the opioid epidemic plaguing our state and country. Senate Bill 826, passed by the Missouri Senate on Feb. 22, would allow pharmacies to institute drug take-back programs for unused opioids. Hopefully, this step will help prevent further tragedy by making these drugs less readily available.
Opioid misuse has become a blight on our society. With each passing year, we’re seeing more and more victims succumbing to addiction. The Missouri General Assembly is trying to combat this problem in several different ways. We’re trying to limit access to opioids and decrease the number of unnecessary prescriptions for these drugs. Although we would never prevent those folks who truly need this medicine from legally obtaining it, some physicians need to practice more restraint in prescribing what have proven to be very dangerous, addictive substances.
We’ve found that many prescriptions that once served a legitimate medical purpose have run their course and are no longer necessary to relieve a patient’s suffering when other painkillers would do. We should halt these prescriptions so those who don’t need opioids to live and thrive aren’t able to buy them. It’s a common sense step in the right direction.
Senate Bill 826 would, through the use of drug take-back programs, make it much easier for unused opioids to be cleanly recycled and safely destroyed. Additionally, the bill would institute educational kiosks to teach patients about the proper ways to dispose of these drugs so that they don’t fall into the wrong hands. We’ve seen it work in other states, so why not here?
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.