Thanks to Congress, we’re making real progress in the opioid crisis

One year ago, Republicans and Democrats put partisan labels aside to confront a killer claiming more than 130 lives a day in the United States: the opioid crisis. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act passed the House with overwhelming support. Four months later, after the Senate and House agreed on a final version, President Trump would sign it into law, making this joint effort the most comprehensive law ever enacted by Congress to take on a drug crisis.

Whether it be in our communities, our families, our friends, or even in us, we’ve all seen the terrible harm of the opioid epidemic. We all know the numbers. In my state of Oregon, there were 344 deaths in 2017 alone. We’ve seen the despair in families we’ve listened to, the hopelessness. As a member of my local community seeing this firsthand, I knew something needed to be done. As the then-chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I knew I had a responsibility to act.

I teamed up with Reps. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Kevin Brady, R-Texas, and Richard Neal, D-Mass., to introduce the SUPPORT Act. This legislation is designed to attack the opioid crisis in four buckets: advancing treatment and recovery initiatives, improving prevention, protecting our communities, and bolstering efforts to fight deadly illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. Now, this was not the first action taken by Congress and the Trump administration, nor will it be the last, because the fight in Oregon and across the country is far from over.

One year since this landmark legislation passed the House, we’re seeing real results and reason for hope; the SUPPORT Act is already making a difference in this fight. Earlier this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the implementation of a provision related to the Automated Reports and Consolidated Orders System. DEA has a tool to help more than 1,500 drug manufacturers and distributors nationwide more effectively identify, report, and stop suspicious orders of opioids and reduce diversion rates.

Coordinating these efforts across the federal government is also crucial in order to prevent duplicate work across agencies and analyze the best strategies in treatment and prevention of substance use disorder. The SUPPORT Act required Health and Human Services to create a committee to harmonize efforts with the rest of the federal government on substance use disorder research, services, supports, and prevention activities.

Additionally, starting in February, the Food and Drug Administration began to demand drug companies study whether prescription opioids are effective in easing chronic pain. This was only possible because of the SUPPORT Act. Another provision in this key law provides the FDA with stronger recall and destruction authority to intercept illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, from entering the U.S. through International Mail Facilities.

Now, the FDA is requesting feedback for special packaging to reduce the number of opioid pills left unused from a prescribed patient. The smaller the number of leftover opioids, the smaller the window of opportunity for these pills to cause the patient or patient’s family or friends to fall into drug abuse. If enacted, opioids could come in doses, such as five to 15-count, with fixed-quantity blister packaging.

These are just a few steps that have been taken as a direct result of the SUPPORT Act to help save lives, proving Congress can act swiftly to help in times of crisis. President Trump is also getting real results. China will classify all fentanyl-related drugs as controlled substances, fulfilling their promise to the president late last year that they would crack down on the deadly synthetic drug.

Beyond new (helpful) laws and resources, the only way to truly rid this scourge from our society is to make it real so people know they are not alone. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump know this — they show up and continue to bring attention and resources to the people who have seen their lives upended. President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, and Mrs. Trump’s “Be Best” campaign has made building awareness around opioid addiction one of her three main pillars. They understand the opioid epidemic stretches to every corner of our country, regardless of ZIP code.

Of course, when we are talking about the sanctity of human life, there is always more to do. We have three places to start:

1. Conduct bipartisan oversight of the SUPPORT Act’s implementation to make sure it is working as intended;
2. Continue two specific ongoing investigations into the major opioid manufacturers and patient brokering;
3. Pass the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act and pass the Stop the Importation and Trafficking of Synthetic Analogues Act. Both had significant bipartisan support last Congress and could still contribute significantly to combating the opioid crisis. Let’s get them done now.

Bottom line, we will continue to listen, legislate, and evaluate until we win this deadly battle and help people overcome this terrible addiction.

Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican, represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. He is ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.