Kaul, AGs Warn of More Opioid Problems
Letter from 39 attorneys general warns federal officials that new policy could lead to illegal opioid use.
More than three dozen attorneys general have sent a letter to federal health officials regarding proposals on pain management in the wake of the opioid crisis.
Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and others are concerned that some of the recommendations will result in more opioid prescriptions, not fewer.
“We should continue working to reduce opioid prescriptions, not take a step back from that effort,” Kaul said in a statement.
On Monday, 39 attorneys general sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding a draft report by the Pain Management Task Force.
Existing federal guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that opioids prescribed for acute pain be limited to three or fewer days and say that more than a seven-day supply is rarely necessary.
But doctors told the task force this has led to unintended consequences. The task force said it has received public comments indicating that many patients have experienced access issues related to provider fears and concerns with how the guideline would be interpreted and have caused some to consider obtaining opioids from illicit sources.
“In essence, clinicians should be able to use their clinical judgment to determine opioid duration for their patients,” the draft report said.
The American Academy of Family Physicians initially objected to CDC prescribing guidelines saying the evidence was weak. And while the Academy later changed its mind, concerns remain that some patients will be left in pain.
There are risks with high doses of opioids, the attorney generals said in their letter, adding “as a matter of public safety, there is simply no justification to move away from the CDC Guideline to encourage more liberal use of an ineffective treatment that causes nearly 50,000 deaths annually.”
Listen to the WPR report here.
AG Josh Kaul: Opioid Prescriptions Could Rise Again was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Senator Baldwin Calls on House to Pass Bill that Cracks Down on Fentanyl Traffickers - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Feb 15th, 2024
- Attorney General Josh Kaul announces $350 million settlement with marketing firm over its role in opioid epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Feb 1st, 2024
- Grants Will Fund Recovery Housing For Those Facing Homelessness and Battling Opioids - Margaret Faust - Jan 12th, 2024
- Baldwin Helps Advance Bipartisan Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Dec 14th, 2023
- DHS and DOJ Announce Dose of Reality Roundtable Discussions on Wisconsin’s Opioid Epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 6th, 2023
- Limited Supply of Narcan Prevents Milwaukee Groups From Saving Lives - Edgar Mendez - Dec 1st, 2023
- MUPD, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery partner to install Nalox-ZONE boxes on Marquette campus - Marquette University - Oct 12th, 2023
- MKE County: Drug Settlements Could Help Expand Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Sep 21st, 2023
- DHS Awards Funding to Law Enforcement Agencies Working to Address the Opioid Epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Sep 21st, 2023
- Milwaukee County Announces Locations of 11 ‘Harm Reduction Vending Machines’ to Combat Death from Overdose - County Executive David Crowley - Aug 8th, 2023
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