It is time to get serious about tackling prescription drug abuse (Rep. Hal Rogers)

Since July, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released two very troubling reports detailing just how widespread the epidemic of prescription drug abuse is. In the last decade, hospital admissions related to prescription drug abuse has increased by 400 percent, and non-medical use of these drugs skyrocketed by 12 percent from 2008 to 2009. This problem can no longer be ignored.

The promise of our youth, our next generation of leaders, is being threatened by this addiction. It is time that Congress gets serious about tackling the obstacles our states are facing in this fight against drugs.
 
Some of my colleagues and I are working hard to raise awareness and collaborate on policies that will work. Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack and I launched the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse in June, and yesterday, along with Congressman Bill Delahunt, we hosted a forum on the fastest growing drug problem facing our nation today -- addiction to prescription drugs.

Experts from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) and more were on hand to share their stories and provide insight for Congressional leaders to implement innovative and effective solutions.
 
The panel of experts discussed the recent trends in prescription drug abuse. The statistics on drug abuse are scary. No state is immune. No socio-economic group is untouched. While no age group is off limits, perhaps the most troubling news is that, among our youth, prescription drugs are being abused more than cocaine, heroin and meth combined.
 
So what can be done?
 
Panelists pointed to the success of state-run PDMPs and the recent development of an interstate compact, which will make an enormous dent in “doctor shopping” across state lines. Presently, 34 states and territories have active PDMPs, which track vital prescription data so that doctors and pharmacists know when a prescription is being abused and investigators can root out the unscrupulous doctors aiding drug dealers and addicts.

As the interstate compact develops, states will be able to share information and stop people from driving down the Interstate to fill an illegitimate prescription. I am pleased at the progress being made and I am committed to seeing the compact come to fruition.
 
While we face an uphill battle, we must continue to raise awareness on the dangers prescription drugs pose. We need to be loud and we need to be vocal so that Congress gets the message and helps to empower States through the passage of an interstate compact.

I encourage all my colleagues to join in this effort by becoming involved in the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. If we don’t act now, thousands upon thousands of our youth will be swept up in this epidemic.