Trump opioid commission leaves out key stakeholder (Modern Healthcare)

Friday Mar 31st, 2017

Experts focused on finding ways to curb the number of overdoses in the U.S. say there's one very important person missing from President Donald Trump's commission—any representative from the federal agency regulating prescription drugs.

“There's quite a bit the Food and Drug Administration could be doing and hasn't done,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of opioid policy research at Brandeis University, referring to stricter federal regulation of prescription painkillers which physicians have often used to treat common chronic conditions such as back pain and fibromyalgia.

Trump on Wednesday introduced a high-profile group that is tasked with reporting on ideas and progress towards curbing the nation's opioid epidemic. It includes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie—who has led several statewide efforts to address heroin addiction—U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Defense Secretary James Mattis and HHS Secretary Tom Price.

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