The Obama Administration is taking action against the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic throughout the country with a 1.1-billion-dollar funding proposal.
Under the President’s proposed budget, Alaska would be eligible to receive up to $4 million dollars over two years in order to support Alaskans’ access to treatment.
As a way to monitor drug prescribers, the Indian Health Service will now require its opioid prescribers and pharmacists to check State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (or PDMP) databases before giving out or prescribing any opioid for more than seven days. This new policy will affect 1,200 IHS clinicians, and will take effect immediately.
The funding will not be available until Congress passes the legislation.
