Protecting Michiganders and Addressing Opioid Addiction Before it Occurs

By: Tanya Baker

The opioid and heroin crisis continues to plague Michigan communities. In 2015, 1,981 lives were lost to opioid and heroin overdoses in Michigan. From 2007 to 2016, prescriptions for individual dosage units of Schedule II drugs increased from 180 million to 690 million in the state, while prescriptions for controlled substances increased from 17 million to 21.2 million.

That’s why Michigan has taken an active role in fighting the addiction epidemic. Through the creation of the Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force in 2015, and later, the Prescription Drug and Opioid Commission, the state has made a commitment to saving lives and providing second chances to Michiganders by working to prevent addiction and overdose deaths.

And this commitment will continue, as Gov. Rick Snyder joined with Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and a group of bipartisan legislators today to unveil a comprehensive legislative package that will build on the state’s current efforts to address this growing epidemic. The aggressive legislation represents next steps and provides additional tools to combat this crisis, focusing on reducing the potential for Michiganders to become addicted to prescription drugs and to promote treatment and recovery for those suffering from addiction.

Lt. Gov. Calley also announced that the new Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS) will launch in early April, providing prescribers with a user-friendly portal to easily obtain information of controlled substances and Schedule 2–5 drugs that have previously been dispensed to a patient. MAPS gives prescribers and dispensers state-of-the-art tools to make better informed decisions, intervene earlier and spend additional time with patients and clients and will be essential in accurately tracking prescribed controlled substances.

The legislation announced today will:

• Require prescribers to obtain reports from MAPS before prescribing or dispensing Schedule 2 through 5 controlled substances to a patient (sponsored by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker).
• Require disciplinary action if a prescriber is not obtaining reports from MAPS (sponsored by Sen. Schuitmaker).
• Increase penalties for physicians and pharmacists who wrongfully prescribe, dispense, manufacture or distribute controlled substances (sponsored by Sens. Jim Ananich and Margaret O’Brien).
• Require prescribers to have a bona-fide physician-patient relationship with a patient before prescribing a Schedule 2 through 5 controlled substance (sponsored by Sen. Steve Bieda).
• Require the Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Commission to adopt recommendations for the instruction of students on prescription drug abuse and the potential of addiction (sponsored by Sen. Schuitmaker and Rep. Beth Griffin).
• Require schools to include education on opioids and the potential for addiction in health education curriculum (sponsored by Sen. Schuitmaker and Rep. Griffin).
• Require prescribers to provide information to patients on dangers, proper disposal and penalties for dispensing prior to prescribing a controlled substance (sponsored by Sen. Mike Shirkey).
• Require physicians to provide patients being treated for an opioid overdose with information on substance use disorder services (sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones).
• Create prescribing limits for opioids. Prescribers would be limited to prescribing chronic pain sufferers a 30-day supply of opioids and acute pain suffers a 7-day supply of opioids (sponsored by Sen. Marty Knollenberg).
• Require pain management facilities to be licensed by the state (sponsored by Rep. Sam Singh).
• Provide treatment options for Medicaid beneficiaries suffering from opioid addiction including medically necessary acute treatment services, inpatient care and clinical stabilization services (sponsored by Rep. Andy Schor).
• Protect pharmacists from civil liability if the pharmacist refuses to fill a prescription, so long as they are acting in good faith and have reasonable doubt regarding the authenticity of the prescription or believe the prescription is being filled for non-medical purposes (sponsored by Rep. Kathy Crawford).
• Require parental consent and signature before a minor receives their first prescription of a controlled substance containing an opioid. Prior to receiving consent, the prescriber should discuss with the minor and their parent the potential risk of addiction and overdose (sponsored by Rep. Joseph Bellino).

While Michigan has made strides in addressing this epidemic, our work is far from over. We must continue the fight until we see an end to unnecessary deaths from controlled substances in Michigan.