WH opioids panel approves final report

The U.S. should block-grant funding to the states to combat the prescription drug and heroin epidemic, promote drugs that treat addiction and crack down on traffickers of deadly synthetics like fentanyl, the White House’s opioids commission said Wednesday in its final report.

The commission, led by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, also called for a nationwide campaign, akin to the mass-media campaign to combat HIV/AIDS decades ago, to combat the stigma around addiction and keep people from trying drugs in the first place.

Mr. Christie, a Republican, said he is confident that Mr. Trump and his administration will review the 131-page report and “do things that need to be done.”

“He does not countenance fear. He plows ahead,” the governor said.

The report said governors across the country pleaded for block grants to implement life-saving policies, though the commission left it up to Capitol Hill lawmakers to approve “sufficient funds.”

Members of Congress responded positively to the report, setting the stage for a debate over new funding.

“These recommendations now need to be followed by a bipartisan effort to secure additional resources — and if President Trump is looking for an ally in Congress to help make that a priority, he’s got one in me,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, who faces re-election next year and is probing opioid manufacturers’ role in the crisis.

The search for new funding adds a layer of complexity to year-end negotiations on federal spending, though the Trump administration said it will shift around resources and waive barriers to treatment in the meantime.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved requests from New Jersey and Utah to set up new treatment models within their borders. It said the waivers will allow the Medicaid insurance program to pay for more treatment in residential facilities.

“Previous policies ignored the growing urgency of the national opioid epidemic and instead put onerous requirements on states that ultimately prevented individuals from accessing these needed services,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said. “The Trump administration’s approach reflects the pressing nature of the issues states are facing on the ground.”

The commission says federal purchasers of drugs, from Medicaid to the Department of Veterans Affairs, should ensure coverage of methadone and buprenorphine to help addicts wean themselves off opioids.

It also wants to erase the belief that medication-assisted treatment “does not constitute true recovery or sobriety.”

The opioids crisis took off over the past two decades as many Americans got hooked on prescription opioids and then turned to cheaper heroin.

More than 60,000 people died from drug overdoses last year, according to government estimates, driven in large part by the influx of potent fentanyl from clandestine labs overseas.

Mr. Christie’s commission recommended the use of canine screening to detect shipments of fentanyl at ports of entry. It also endorsed a bill in Congress that would require foreign posts to provide advanced electronic data on packages that flow through the U.S. postal system so customs agents can better target suspicious shipments. Private carriers like UPS and FedEx already provide advanced data.

Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, said he is pleased the commission endorsed his legislation and a separate bill of his that would closely track the flow of opioids from doctors to patients.

The commission said Congress, once it ponies up more funding, should closely monitor what works and what doesn’t so it doesn’t squander the money.

“If we are to invest in combating this epidemic, we must invest in only those programs that achieve quantifiable goals and metrics,” its report said. “We are operating blindly today.”