Brooks bill would require opioid prescribers receive ongoing medical training

Medical practitioners prescribing controlled substances like opioid drugs would have to meet continuing medical education (CME) requirements and states could set even more training obligations under bipartisan legislation U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) introduced on April 23.

“Opioids are powerful drugs and have the potential to become incredibly addictive,” Rep. Brooks said. “It is imperative for all of our nation’s prescribers to receive adequate training before sending a patient home with a bottle full of pills that could be abused.”

The Abuse Deterrent And Prescriber Training (ADAPT) Act of 2018, H.R.5581, would mandate CME training for medical providers on safe-prescribing guidelines, opioid risks, alternative pain management options, early detection of opioid addiction, and addiction treatment options, according to a summary provided by Rep. Brooks’ office.

“The ADAPT Act requires prescribers to complete CME courses on the potential dangers and risks of prescribing opioids if their state does not already require them to do so,” said Rep. Brooks, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

If enacted, H.R. 5581 would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study and report to Congress on how CME impacts prescribing practices. The GAO also would be directed to explore how much CME reduces opioid prescriptions, overdoses and deaths associated with opioid abuse, according to the staff summary.

Additionally, under H.R. 5581, states would have the flexibility to approve their own training requirements, which could be based on best practices established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the summary.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) joined Rep. Brooks in unveiling H.R. 5581, which has been referred to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

Saying she was proud to work with Rep. Schneider on the legislation, Brooks called the nation’s opioid epidemic a complex situation. “In order to save more lives from being taken by substance abuse, we must combat this issue with an all-hands-on-deck approach,” she said. “Prescribers are an integral part of the solution.”

Rep. Schneider agreed and said that turning the tide on an epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction in America will take a broad, multi-faceted effort. “Equipping doctors with the most up-to-date information on how to prevent, detect and treat opioid abuse is an important part of the solution,” the congressman said.

U.S. President Donald Trump in October 2017 declared the opioid epidemic a nationwide public health emergency and established the federal Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The commission’s final report included a call for increased medical education for prescribers, according to a statement from Brooks’ office.

H.R. 5581 has garnered support from the Indiana State Medical Association and Indiana University, according to Rep. Brooks’ staff.