In the past year, the number of opioid prescriptions written by U.S. doctors has dropped by 26.3 million -- welcome news to Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who has been involved with the passage of the Safe Prescribing Act, which reclassified hydrocodone products from Schedule III to Schedule II because of their potential for abuse.
“Hydrocodone is one of the most powerful, addictive painkillers on the market,” Kirk said. “Rescheduling this substance has led to fewer opioid prescriptions, in turn preventing prescription drug and heroin abuse while saving lives in Illinois.”
Kirk was instrumental in getting an increase of $91 million passed for opioid abuse treatment programs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He also works with Chicago's Anti-Heroin Task Force.
Recent studies have proven that heroin addicts' drug problems often begin with prescription drug abuse.
Kirk has been vocal about the need for opioid control and treatment programs for those already addicted. He was one of a group of senators who signed a letter sent to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell, asking for easier access to medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for opioid abusers.
Furthermore, he met last year with Michael Botticelli, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, to determine which drug abuse treatment programs being used in America's urban areas are actually effective.
