HLS 16RS-2317 ENGROSSED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 113
BY REPRESENTATIVE LEBAS AND SENATOR MILLS
DRUGS/PRESCRIPTION: Establishes the Commission on Preventing Opioid Abuse
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To establish the Louisiana Commission on Preventing Opioid Abuse to study and make
3 recommendations regarding both short-term and long-term measures that can be
4 taken to tackle prescription opioid and heroin abuse and addiction in Louisiana, by
5 using the best practices and evidence-based strategies for its prevention, treatment,
6 and enforcement.
7 WHEREAS, opioid pain medication presents serious risks, including overdose and
8opioid or substance use disorder; and
9 WHEREAS, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United
10States, with forty-seven thousand fifty-five lethal drug overdoses occurring in 2014; and
11 WHEREAS, opioid addiction is driving the epidemic, with eighteen thousand eight
12hundred ninety-three overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers and ten thousand
13five hundred seventy-four overdose deaths related to heroin occurring in 2014; and
14 WHEREAS, from 1999 to 2014, more than one hundred sixty-five thousand persons
15died from overdose related to opioid pain medication in the United States; and
16 WHEREAS, of the twenty-one and one-half million Americans aged twelve years
17or older that had a substance use disorder in 2014, one million nine hundred thousand had
18a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers and five hundred eighty-six
19thousand had a substance use disorder involving heroin; and
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1 WHEREAS, eighty percent of new heroin users started out misusing prescription
2painkillers, and as a consequence, the rate of heroin overdose deaths nearly quadrupled from
3the year 2000 to 2013; and
4 WHEREAS, an estimated twenty percent of patients presenting to physician offices
5with noncancer pain symptoms or pain-related diagnoses, including acute and chronic pain,
6receive a prescription for an opioid; and
7 WHEREAS, in 2012, two hundred fifty-nine million prescriptions were written for
8opioids, which is more than enough to give each American adult a bottle of pills; and
9 WHEREAS, in 2011, the Drug Abuse Warning Network estimated that more than
10four hundred twenty thousand emergency department visits were related to the misuse or
11abuse of narcotic pain relievers; and
12 WHEREAS, individuals often share their unused pain relievers, unaware of the
13dangers of nonmedical opioid use; and
14 WHEREAS, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, most adolescents
15who misuse prescription pain relievers are given them for free by a friend or relative; and
16 WHEREAS, Louisiana ranks among the top states for the number of narcotic
17prescriptions written; and
18 WHEREAS, approximately six hundred seventy-five Louisiana residents die from
19prescription opioid overdoses each year; and
20 WHEREAS, more than five percent of adult Louisianians engage in the nonmedical
21use of opioids, resulting in fifteen deaths per every one hundred thousand residents each
22year; and
23 WHEREAS, nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
24that heroin-related deaths have increased thirty-nine percent between the years 2012 and
252013, with a similar spike in emergency heroin overdose treatments and deaths reported in
26the New Orleans area, causing city health officials to declare a public health advisory in
27January 2016 because of increases in heroin and opioid abuse; and
28 WHEREAS, though prescription opioids are generally safe when used as prescribed,
29and opioid drugs are essential for end of life, chronic, and palliative care pain relief, the
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1overuse and abuse of prescription opioids can lead to long-term detrimental health
2complications, dysfunction, addiction, and death; and
3 WHEREAS, in addition, individuals that are addicted to opioids are shifting to
4heroin, as prescription opioids become less available and are more expensive; and
5 WHEREAS, prescription opioid abuse and heroin abuse has also led to an increased
6burden on law enforcement, higher incarceration rates, greater court costs, and elevated
7healthcare costs from drug-related emergency department visits and treatment admissions;
8and
9 WHEREAS, opioid abuse and addiction are public health priorities that affect
10families, communities, public safety, and the economy; and
11 WHEREAS, it is time for statewide response and comprehensive strategy to address
12opioid abuse and addiction, which will require a collaborative and dedicated effort by
13Louisiana's healthcare providers and healthcare leadership, as well as coordination between
14governmental and private sector resources.
15 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
16establish the Louisiana Commission on Preventing Opioid Abuse to study and make
17recommendations regarding both short-term and long-term measures that can be taken to
18tackle prescription opioid and heroin abuse and addiction in Louisiana, by using the best
19practices and evidence-based strategies for its prevention, treatment, and enforcement.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of the commission is to assess the
21extent and impact of opioid abuse, including heroin, on public health care and the medical
22and legal systems in Louisiana, and to recommend both short- and long-term measures to
23reduce opioid abuse, related addictions and deaths, and the costs of opioid abuse.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall be composed of
25representatives assigned from relevant state agencies, interested state medical provider
26associations, and other relevant and interested parties, including but not limited to all of the
27following:
28 (1)The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals or his designee.
29 (2)The assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, office of
30 behavioral health, or his designee.
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1 (3)The executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his
2 designee.
3 (4)The commissioner of insurance or his designee.
4 (5)The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or his
5 designee.
6 (6)The president of the Louisiana State Medical Society or his designee.
7 (7)The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
8 or his designee.
9 (8)The executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy or his designee.
10 (9)The president of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians or his
11 designee.
12 (10)The executive director of Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority
13 or his designee.
14 (11)The president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of
15 Emergency Physicians or his designee.
16 (12)The president of the Louisiana Association of Drug Court Professionals or
17 his designee.
18 (13)The president of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners or his
19 designee.
20 (14)The president of the Louisiana Association of Substance Abuse Counselors
21 and Trainers or his designee.
22 (15)The president of the Louisiana Council of the Emergency Nurses Association
23 or his designee.
24 (16)The president of the Louisiana Dental Association or his designee.
25 (17)The president of the Louisiana Health Information Management Association
26 or his designee.
27 (18)The president of the Louisiana Hospital Association or his designee.
28 (19)The president of the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association or his designee.
29 (20)The president of the Louisiana Primary Care Association or his designee.
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1 (21)The president of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association or his
2 designee.
3 (22)The president of the Louisiana Psychological Association or his designee.
4 (23)The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing or his
5 designee.
6 (24)The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse
7 Examiners or his designee.
8 (25)The executive director of the Louisiana State Nurses Association or his
9 designee.
10 (26)The chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at
11 New Orleans or his designee.
12 (27)The chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at
13 Shreveport or his designee.
14 (28)The president of the Louisiana Society of Health System Pharmacists or his
15 designee.
16 (29)The president of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police or his
17 designee.
18 (30)The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association or his
19 designee.
20 (31)The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association or his designee.
21 (32)The executive director of the Society of Interventional Pain Physicians of
22 Louisiana or his designee.
23 (33)The president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
24 or his designee.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the commission shall include but
26not be limited to all of the following:
27 (1)Identify and evaluate the causes of opioid abuse in Louisiana.
28 (2)Evaluate responsible use of opioid medications, including an assessment of
29 the feasibility and desirability of a statewide adoption of the recent
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1 "Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain" promulgated by the
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 18, 2016.
3 (3)Evaluate and recommend reasonable alternatives of medical treatment to
4 mitigate the overutilization of opioid medications, including but not limited
5 to integrated mental and physical therapy health services.
6 (4)Recommend policies and procedures for more effective interagency,
7 intergovernmental, and medical provider communication, cooperation, data
8 sharing, and collaboration with other states, the federal government, and
9 local partners, including nonprofit agencies, hospitals, healthcare and
10 medical services providers, and academia to reduce opioid abuse.
11 (5)Evaluate medical professional training needs and the efficacy of educational
12 materials and public education as an outreach strategy to raise public
13 awareness about the dangers of misuse and abuse of opioid drugs.
14 (6)Assess alternatives to incarceration and medical treatment of opioid-addicted
15 individuals suffering from severe substance abuse disorders.
16 (7)Recommend any appropriate changes to relevant legislation, administrative
17 rules, or pharmaceutical use to mitigate opioid abuse.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission is assigned to the Department
19of Health and Hospitals, with staff support to be provided from existing personnel within the
20department and additional persons assigned to assist from participating members of the
21commission.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall be co-chaired by the
23secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the president of the Louisiana State
24Medical Society.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall meet upon call of the co-
26chairmen no less than bimonthly, and shall provide a report of its initial findings and
27recommendations to the governor and the Legislature of Louisiana no later than February
281, 2017, and any further reports or recommendations thereafter as requested by the governor,
29the legislature, or advised by the commission.
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1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that legislative authority for the commission shall
2continue through July 1, 2017.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
4secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the president of the Louisiana State
5Medical Society.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 113 Engrossed 2016 Regular Session LeBas
Establishes the La. Commission on Preventing Opioid Abuse to study and make
recommendations regarding both short-term and long-term measures that can be taken to
tackle prescription opioid and heroin abuse and addiction in La.
Requires the commission to provide a report of its initial findings and recommendations to
the governor and the Legislature of Louisiana no later than Feb. 1, 2017.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill:
1. Add the president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America or his designee to the commission.
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