Could the DEA be doing more harm than good with its efforts to curb prescription drug abuse?
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island are asking the Government Accountability Office to study how the DEA’s crackdowns on controlled substances may be creating shortages of vital prescription meds for doctors in the field.
Grassley says in his office’s press release, “More and more, emergency medical technicians report shortages of medicines they need in the field.”
“Patients need access to the right treatment at the right time,” Whitehouse added, “and we need to balance the DEA’s mission to fight prescription drug abuse against patients’ need for proper care.”
The DEA sets controlled substance quotas, and in effect, production limits, for drug companies. Since the drug shortage crisis developed, controlled substances are frequently on the FDA drug shortage list. While the shortage creates crisis for emergency care workers and their patients, recent studies indicate prescription drug abuse continues to rise.
Read Grassley’s press release here.
