Yes, it’s true. After years of strictly partisan politics in the U.S. Senate, there is finally a bipartisan bill focused on the opioid crisis in America. President Trump is expected to sign it soon.
The bill – which passed 98-1 on Oct. 3 — would accelerate research into non-addictive painkillers, ease restrictions on which health care professionals can prescribe medication-assisted treatment and increase support for state prescription drug monitoring programs to prevent abuse.
I am proud that the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and the entire surgery center industry see the opioid crisis as a major issue and have taken the lead in prevention and innovation to control pain with alternative medication routines.