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Pallone Applauds Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids

March 15, 2016

CDC Recommendations Will Help Combat Overprescribing and Avoidable Overdoses

Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today issued the following statement commending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its work to develop and finalize prescribing guidelines for the use of opioids in treating chronic pain, excluding cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care. In January, Pallone sent a letter to CDC, urging the agency to finalize its recommendations for prescribers quickly given the continued urgency of the opioid crisis unfolding across the country:

“I applaud CDC for working swiftly to finalize these critical guidelines that will help ensure patients have access to safer and more effective treatment. With every day that goes by, too many lives across our country are lost to potentially avoidable overdoses. These recommendations will serve as a useful tool to primary care providers treating patients with chronic pain, while also helping to reduce the number of people who misuse, abuse, or fall victim to fatal overdoses from opioids. The prescribing guidelines issued today are an important step forward as we continue to confront our nation’s opioid epidemic and work to protect millions from this urgent public health threat.”

Issues:Health