Senate passes drug abuse bill backed by NACDS

The U.S. Senate this week passed the National Association of Chain Drug Stores-backed Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 (S. 483).

The bill is now one step closer to being enacted into law.

The legislation, which has been backed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), would progress the proposed collaboration amongst health and enforcement authorities to bring about a solution to drug abuse that will also uphold patients’ legitimate access to medications.

A similar version of the bill (H.R. 471) was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in April of last year. The next step for Congressional leaders will be to decide the best route moving forward that will get the bill passed in identical legislative language in both chambers to get the bill on the President’s desk.

The NACDS sent a letter to the Senate in February, urging the Congressional body to pass the bill. The senators that led the backing of the bill were Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The NACDS has stated that the progress of the bill through Congress mirrors public opinion regarding drug abuse in the United States. Likely voters who were polled appreciate the attempts to solve the problem while also providing medication to patients for legitimate reasons.