Running head: ADVOCACY 1

Advocacy Paper

Nick Hewett

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

September 27th, 2017

“I PLEDGE”
ADVOCACY PAPER 2

TO: David Brat

From: Nicholas Hewett

Date: October 10th, 2017

Subject: H.R 39-64-To amend the Controlled Substances Act of 2017 to establish
additional registration requirements for prescribers of opioids, and for other purposes.
The use of illicit street drugs has been a big problem in the United States for many years.
Since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137% including a 200%
increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (CDC, 2016). In 2014, 47,055 drug
overdose deaths occurred; 28,647 (61%) of those were opioid related (CDC, 2016). In the 1980’s
opioids were considered benign and effective for chronic pain management. By the 1990’s, pain
became the 5th vital sign after a physician was sued for not treating pain properly. (University of
California, 2017). Therefore, I support H.R 3964 Opioid Addiction Prevention Act of 2017.
1. Of those treated with opioid medications includes those in chronic pain, acute pain,
cancer and palliative care. Between the years 2004 and 2008, 1136 died of prescription
opioid overdoses (JAMA, 2011).
2. Of those 1136,125 were prescribed 100 milligrams or more per day, 86 were prescribed
50-100mg per day and 108 were prescribed 20-50 per day thus correlating dosage with
risk of death from overdose (JAMA, 2011).

Recommendation: Vote to support H.R 3964 Controlled Substances Act of 2017 which
requires prescribers and clinicians to follow guidelines listed in the bill. As you can see, the
opioid overdose is a recently a new cause of death and becoming an epidemic that we can
control. As research as shown, the higher the dose of opioid pain management, the higher the
risk for overdose and death. Pharmacological medications are supposed to aid in suppressing
and curing illnesses; not causing death by overdose. I support this bill as it requires prescribers to
initiate other steps before prescribing opioids.
ADVOCACY PAPER 3

Bohnert, A. B., Valenstein, M., Bair, M. J., Ganoczy, D., McCarthy, J. F., Ilgen, M. A., & Blow,

F. C. (2011). Association between opioid prescribing patterns and opioid overdose-related

deaths. Jama, 305(13), 1315-1321. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.370

Rudd, R. A., Aleshire, N., Zibbell E., & Matthew Gladden R. (2016). Increases in drug and

opioid overdose deaths- United States, 2000-2014. Obtained from The Centers for Disease

Prevention and Control website:https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm

Ling, W. (2016). Prescription opioid addiction and chronic pain: More than a feeling. Retreived

from Drugs and Alcohol Dependence website:

http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716(16)31032-8/pdf

30 second”elevator” pitch:
ADVOCACY PAPER 4

Good Afternoon Mr. Brat. I wanted to inform you about the statistics of the recent opioid

crisis. In the 1990’s, prescription opioids for pain was not as common as it is now. Recently,

clinicians have been overprescribing opioids rather than initiating nonpharmacological methods

or non-opioid pain medications first. Research has shown that the higher the dose of an opioid

medication, the higher the risk for overdose. I support the H.R 39-64 Controlled Substances Act

of 2017 and ask you to represent me in voting for this bill as well.