Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) recently issued the following statement after his bill, H.R. 5812, the Creating Opportunities that Necessitate New and Enhanced Connections That Improve Opioid Navigation Strategies (CONNECTIONS) Act, passed the House of Representatives:
“Fighting the opioid crisis is an urgent priority for all of us, and it’s important that we have accurate, up-to-date information to guide us. The CONNECTIONS Act helps with that part of the fight. It provides a boost to state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs as they examine the best ways to prevent overdoses and increase awareness of the risks of opioids. Health care providers would have more information to identify patients at higher risk of opioid abuse or misuse and could help those patients find the right treatments. Public health officials would have more and better data available to defeat this epidemic. The CONNECTIONS Act is a bipartisan proposal that would make a difference.”
Introduced by Congressmen Griffith and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the CONNECTIONS Act will improve federal support for state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs). It authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants and provide assistance to state or local governments. This legislation also provides for enhanced collection of substance abuse data. The CONNECTIONS Act is one of dozens of bills related to the opioid epidemic that will be considered by the House this week and the week of June 18.
- Submitted by Kevin Baird, Communications Director