McCaskill: ‘Bitterly disappointed’ Jefferson City Fails Once Again on Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Missouri remains the only state in the country without a statewide program

WASHINGTON – With the Missouri legislature once again failing to pass a statewide prescription drug monitoring program this session, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill—who has long called for such a program and helped secure funding for Missouri counties setting up their own programs—issued the following statement:

“I’m bitterly disappointed that in the face of this crisis ravaging our communities, leaders in Jefferson City again failed to get this bipartisan plan across the finish line. It's a shame that we are the only state in the whole country that has not done this—but I know this won’t stop the incredible efforts being led by Representative Rehder and by cities and counties across Missouri to crack down on prescription shoppers fueling the opioid epidemic.”

Missouri is the only state in the country without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program, and legislation to create one had been repeatedly blocked in the state legislature. Despite the lack of statewide action, 26 cities and counties across the state have joined the St. Louis County monitoring program, which will cover more than half of Missouri’s population.

The motion shaped by McCaskill that was successfully included in last year’s Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act—federal legislation that provides resources to states to combat the number of prescription drug and heroin deaths across the country—enables Missouri’s network of county-level monitoring programs to be eligible to apply for federal resources. Without this provision, eligibility for this federal grant funding would have been limited to states.

Continuing her commitment to fighting the opioid epidemic, McCaskill wrote to President Donald Trump, “There is no question that it is going to take all levels of government to fight this public health crisis in our country and I am committed to working with you and your Administration to do everything we can to stop the endemic in its tracks.”

Throughout her recent town halls across Missouri, and her tour last year of Missouri with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, McCaskill highlighted the need for a change in Missouri law to create a prescription drug monitoring program. Missouri ranks number one in the rate of prescription opioids sold in the region. McCaskill also traveled to Jefferson City, Mo. to hold a field hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging to highlight the national epidemic of increased opioid addiction, abuse, and overdose deaths.

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/opioids for information and resources related to Missouri’s opioid epidemic.

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