CEPOP June All-Participants Meeting Cancelled
Due to significant scheduling conflicts, the June All-Participants Teleconference has been cancelled. The next All-Participants Teleconference will be July 25 at 3:00pm ET. Please contact Sanjyot Sangodkar for meeting details.
House Passes Mental Health Bill with Provisions to Respond to the Opioid Crisis
Last Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (H.R. 7666) in a 402-20 vote. The bill, which is led by Representatives Frank Pallone (NJ) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), reauthorizes mental health and substance use disorder programs at the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The bill includes provisions related to the opioid crisis, including ending a requirement for providers to obtain a special waiver in order to prescribe buprenorphine and adding a training requirement for all prescribers managing patients with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Prior to the vote, the Biden Administration noted in a statement “The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 will help build a more robust behavioral health crisis system in the United States by investing in crisis response and addressing mental health and substance use disorder needs in communities.”
Articles & Resources
The Hill – House passes package addressing mental health, 20 Republicans vote ‘no’
FY23 FDA Funding Bill With Additional Resources for Opioid Epidemic Response Advances to Full House
On June 23, by a vote of 31-26, the House Appropriations Committee agreed to move the Fiscal Year 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill to the full House. The bill includes $3.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and includes increases for several initiatives within the agency that address the opioid epidemic. The bill provides $15 million to help FDA coordinate with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection to reduce the illicit importation of opioids and also includes an increase of $64 million for drug safety and medical supply chain surveillance and oversight improvements.
Articles & Resources
House Appropriations Committee – Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2023 Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA Funding Bill
Bloomberg Government – Farm Programs, FDA Get Boost Amid Food Safety, Opioid Concerns
HHS to Provide $10M for Treatment Access in Rural Communities
On June 17th, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that, as part of its Overdose Prevention Strategy, it will dedicate $10 million in funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and their Rural Communities Opioid Response Program for programs focused on substance misuse. The funding will support the establishment of new medication-assisted treatment centers in rural communities with the goal to increase access to treatment and connect patients to services. In a press release, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said, “With today’s announcement, we are taking action to support individuals and families in rural communities hit hard by overdoses. Our priority with this funding is to increase access to life-saving treatment and help individuals build a path to recovery.”
Articles & Resources
HHS – HHS Announces Availability of $10 Million for Rural Communities to Expand Treatment in Response to Surging Fentanyl and Other Opioid Overdoses
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the topic. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
American Hospital Association – FDA approves second generic naloxone spray
Forensic – Researchers Develop Data-driven Model to Help Combat Opioid Crisis
NSC – NSC, Pacira BioSciences Launch Employee-Based Program Focused on Opioid Use, Misuse
Politico – ‘Untreated’: Patients with opioid addiction could soon lose access to virtual care
Spectrum News – Schumer commits $3 billion to tackle fentanyl-driven opioid epidemic
STAT – To protect people with addiction from discrimination, the Justice Dept. turns to a long-overlooked tool: the ADA
Trust for America’s Health – Webinar Registration – Congressional Briefing and National Webinar: Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths
This Week’s Calendar
House Committee on Oversight and Reform
Hearing on Examining the 2022 National Drug Control Strategy and the Federal Response to the Overdose Crisis
Monday, June 27;1:30 p.m.; Hearing Notice
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