California Opioid Epidemic Letter to Senator

Dear Senator Richard Pan:

I have major concerns about AB-1512, the Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Act, which places a tax upon wholesalers who distribute of opioids within the state. First of all, I would like to say that as a registered nurse, I appreciate your experience as a physician and the way it informs your work as a California State Senator and as Chairman of the State Senate Health Committee. The intention of the law is to further discourage the prescription of opioids to patients as a matter of first recourse due to increased costs of the drug as a result of the tax. While I agree that the opioid epidemic must be dealt with, on the other hand, I have also seen many patients struggling with obtaining adequate pain relief. Such bills could further act as a disincentive to prescribe the drugs, given their high cost to patients, even if they are the most effective and appropriate form of pain relief for that patient.
Proper pain relief is critical in healthcare. While it is important to provide treatment for patients suffering from prescription drug addiction on one hand, there is an appropriate role for the use of such drugs in medical practice. These drugs should not be placed under additional taxes, which will eventually be passed on to patients already struggling with the problems created by high deductible health plans.
Yours truly,