[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 168 (Wednesday, October 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            OPIOID EPIDEMIC

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RODNEY DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 23, 2019

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the opioid epidemic and 
our efforts to
  H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, was a highlight 
for me last Congress.
  Because it was a moment where Congress was focused on legislating and 
actually getting things done.
  The House took 39 bipartisan bills, moved them through the 
legislative process, and gave each member a chance to vote for or 
against them.
  We didn't include any partisan, poison pills--we gave both sides an 
opportunity to legislate on an issue that doesn't see party lines and 
we got something done.
  Now, we're seeing progress--the majority, 1.27 million Americans, are 
now receiving treatment for their addiction and we're seeing the 
overdose deaths decline in this country.
  But we can't let up.
  I am hoping we can repeat the success of this legislation--on many 
issues, including continuing to help communities fight opioid 
addiction.
  This week, I'm introducing a bill that came from a local police 
officer in my district.
  A police officer from the Normal Police Department was trying to 
track down a case of `pharmacy shopping,' where someone had come down 
from Chicago and was trying to get an opioid prescription for someone 
else filled at multiple pharmacies.
  But there was no way to track who had tried to fill this prescription 
because no ID is required to pick up these highly addictive pain 
killers.
  My bill, the Opioid Prescription Verification Act, changes that by 
requiring pharmacists to record the ID of a person picking up an opioid 
prescription.
  This is similar to ID requirements that were placed on Sudafed sales 
in 2005 to combat the meth epidemic.
  I'm looking forward to hopefully passing this bill to continue 
fighting this epidemic from all angles.

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