AIA Applauds Introduction of Massachusetts Legislation Addressing Opioid Abuse
WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) October 16, 2015 -- Alison Cooper, northeast region vice president for the American Insurance Association (AIA), issued the statement below following Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s proposal to combat opioid abuse. Baker’s proposal would increase: education requirement for practitioners of opioids, use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP), transparency of insurance carrier opioid policies and reduce prescribing practices.
Opioids are synthetic versions of opium-derived drugs, many of which were initially developed to treat end-stage cancers and now are increasingly used to provide relief from chronic pain. However, there remains little, if any, credible evidence that long-term opioid use is appropriate for many workplace injuries.
Ms. Cooper’s statement follows:
“AIA applauds Governor Baker’s leadership in addressing the epidemic of opioid abuse. This is not merely an economic issue, it is a societal issue and many of Governor Baker’s proposals will go a long way toward combating this pervasive societal problem. Increased education, awareness of the dangers of opioids and use of PDMPs have all proven to be effective tools. We remain committed to working with the governor and legislature to reduce the human and economic cost of opioid abuse.”
Ben Tomchik, American Insurance Association, http://www.aiadc.org/aiapub/, +1 2028287129, [email protected]
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