[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                KEEP CRUSHABLE PAIN PILLS OFF THE MARKET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, today marks a critical turning 
point in our country's battle against prescription drug abuse--what CDC 
has called a national epidemic. It takes more American lives than car 
crashes.
  Unless the Food and Drug Administration takes action today, generic 
drug-makers will be free to dump cheap painkillers, lacking abuse 
deterrence, back into U.S. markets--pills that can be easily crushed 
and which are to be blamed for tens of thousands of emergency room 
visits and accidental overdose deaths in the last decade.
  Two weeks ago, at the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, FDA Commissioner 
Peggy Hamburg acknowledged the many ``individuals and their families 
whose lives have been shattered by prescription opioid abuse, misuse, 
and addiction.'' She also affirmed that FDA has the authority to keep 
these crushable pills off the market when abuse-deterrent technologies 
are available.
  It is time to execute that authority, FDA. On behalf of the thousands 
of families in my region and all over this country, keep crushable 
pills off our streets and out of our children's hands.

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