SHAHEEN, TOOMEY, DURBIN, SESSIONS REINTRODUCE BILL TO REAUTHORIZE PROGRAM TO CURB PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National All-Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) program which provides grants to states to maintain, improve, and expand their prescription drug monitoring programs. Prescription narcotic drugs are the number one cause of overdoses in the United States with more than 22,700 reported deaths due to prescription drug related overdoses in 2013 and monitoring programs like NASPER help law enforcement better monitor drug dispensing practices, ultimately helping crack down on potential abuse. The program was originally signed into law in 2005 and the reauthorization legislation is cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

“In New Hampshire we’ve seen prescription drug addiction reach epidemic proportions, hurting families and communities in our state,” Senator Shaheen said. “Prescription drug monitoring is an important tool for officials to have at their disposal to curb prescription drug abuse and addiction. Reauthorizing this critical program will help local officials strengthen and expand their drug monitoring programs, ultimately helping them identify and crack down on drug abuse.”

“I’ve heard from families, law enforcement officials, and medical professionals across Pennsylvania about the causes of our state’s prescription drug and heroin problem,” Senator Toomey said. “Prescription drug monitoring programs work to help stem the illegal diversion of abused prescription drugs and I’m hopeful that the bipartisan reauthorization of NASPER will enhance these efforts and provide critical funding to coordinate state programs while also improving access to data for health care providers.”

“In recent years, Illinois – like the rest of the country –has seen an increase in drug overdose deaths,” Senator Durbin said. “Reauthorizing the NASPER program is essential to state and local governments that are working to curb prescription drug abuse and combat this fast-growing epidemic.”

“As a former federal prosecutor, I know how devastating prescription drug abuse and addiction can be for individuals and communities,” Senator Sessions said. “I introduced the original NASPER legislation 10 years ago to help empower states to fight this societal ill. Since then, states across the country have made real progress in strengthening their prescription drug monitoring programs. This reauthorization will ensure that states and doctors continue to have the tools they need to identify problems with prescription drug abuse.”

NASPER would improve the ability of law enforcement, public health officials and state regulators to investigate prescribing and dispensing practices by helping states develop more robust prescription drug monitoring programs. NASPER can provide support to already existing state prescription drug monitoring programs and bolster their ability to operate both effectively and efficiently. Prescription drug monitoring programs provide information that is critical to health care providers and for guiding educational outreach.