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Press Release

Bera, Roe Applaud Bipartisan Passage of Legislation to Combat Opioid Abuse Through Safe Prescription Drug Disposal

Bera Called for Passage Earlier in Speech on the House Floor, Bill Passed the House 413-5 with Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority

Washington, DC, May 12, 2016

Today, Congressmen Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-7) and Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-1), both physicians, announced that the House has included their bipartisan legislation to fund prescription drug disposal across the country, the Dispose Responsibly Of Pills (DROP) Act, in the Comprehensive Opioid Reduction Act that passed the House today 413-5.

Research shows that more than half of nonmedical users of prescription medications got them from people they know. Safely disposing of old or unused prescription medications can curb prescription drug abuse that can lead to addiction and overdose. In the United States, prescription drug abuse impacts people of all ages, across all socioeconomic backgrounds, and in all kinds of communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more people died in 2014 from drug overdoses than in any year before.

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact prescription drug abuse has had on families,” said Congressman Bera. “I’m pleased that members from both sides of the aisle in the house voted to help combat prescription drug abuse and make it easier to dispose of unused prescription drugs by passing my and Dr. Roe’s legislation. Making safe and secure prescription disposal more available, and educating people on the importance of appropriately getting rid of unused medications are simple steps we can take to keep prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands and prevent addiction. This solution is an easy fix to a problem that is too serious to ignore.”

Congressman Bera took to the House floor prior to the vote to urge passage of the bill. A video of his remarks are below and can be found on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hp1d4zau4&feature=youtu.be

“Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem throughout the United States, particularly in East Tennessee, and there’s no question that a significant source of the supply for prescription drug abuse is unused prescriptions,” said Roe. “We need to do everything possible to encourage the safe disposal of drugs that may be ripe for abuse, and I’m proud to partner with Dr. Bera to make disposal of unused and expired medications easier.”

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