U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
WASHINGTON – Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) have announced bipartisan legislation to combat opioid addiction by limiting the supply of an initial opioid prescription for acute pain to seven days.
According to a release from Senator Gillibrand’s office, many individuals become addicted to opioids after taking prescriptions for acute pain, such as a broken bone or wisdom tooth extraction.
The legislation would require medical professionals to certify that they will not prescribe an opioid as an initial treatment for acute pain in an amount that exceeds a seven-day supply, and may not provide a refill.
The limit does not apply to the treatment of chronic pain, pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice or other end of life care, or pain treated as part of palliative care.
The federal legislation is modeled after laws in several states, including New York and Arizona.
Studies show that people who are addicted to prescription opioids are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.
I am aware of your interest in preventing the use of Opioids in an irresponsible and unnecessary manner. This is certainly laudable but my concern is that it will make it difficult if not impossible for those of us who suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome to avail themselves of what has proven to be the only effective medication for this disease. While the name of this disease Restless Leg Syndrome does not sound dire I who have suffered from it for 40 years can assure you that its impact is devastating and that using various forms of Opioids is the only thing that has allowed me to live a normal life. Please remember in considering this legislation that there be a caveat for its use in treating Restless Leg Syndrome.