Fentanyl, Border Security Dominate Congressional Panel at Rx Summit

Border security and the nation’s growing fentanyl epidemic were at the forefront of a cordial, but spirited panel discussion among members of Congress during the Tuesday morning plenary session at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.

Legislators lamented missed opportunities and examples of bureaucracy standing in the way of progress.

US Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky noted proposed legislation that would categorize fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs.

“We’re waiting for action by the administration, especially DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), to make this happen,” Rogers said. “Look, folks, we are fighting a losing battle with the cartels. We’ve disarmed ourselves and tied our hands behind our backs legally in not being able to go after the cartels as terrorist organizations. Until we get a handle on dealing with the cartels, we are not going to lick this fentanyl problem.”

Republicans and Democrats on stage agreed with Rogers’ call for improved border security. Democratic US Rep. David Trone of Maryland expressed frustration that $700 million was allocated for the deployment of drug-detection technology at the southern border, but has not yet been implemeneted as legislators wrestle with how specifically to use it. Trone said there are additional federal funds waiting to be claimed by states to address the addiction crisis within their borders as well.

Trone implored attendees to make their voices heard demanding action.

“It starts with you folks here,” he said. “Bring us your ideas and solutions. All of us have staff members here today. We need you to talk to our staff with your ideas and solutions. Then, if we leave here and something dawns on you, call our office. If we have 3000 people working together with ideas and solutions, we will get a better result and execute your vision.”

US Rep. Buddy Carter, a Republican from Georgia, added that fentanyl already present in the US is a major issue as well, noting that there is enough of the synthetic opioid within the US to kill 1.9 billion people.

Carter said taking action goes beyond government spending, however. It requires strategic deployment of funds.

“We have to do more than throw money at it,” Carter said. “We need programs that work. That’s why you are so important. We need to make sure we keep this out of the hands of our youth.”

An area of particular concern for Carter with regards to youth substance use was social media. Carter said many young people are acquiring illicit substances through social platforms without knowing their source, exposing them to potentially fatal counterfeits.

Rogers said that recent lab tests found that 6 in 10 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills contain a potentially lethal quantity of the synthetic opioid, and he applauded the DEA’s “one pill can kill” campaign to raise awareness for the issue.

Trone, meanwhile, called on the DEA to be more aggressive in taking legal action against the cartels, securing victories where it can instead of waiting for airtight cases to come along.

“The cartels have a $300 billion business,” Trone said. “It’s going to be hard, but we have to do all we can do. We have to get the DEA and Treasury to take more cases. They wait for the perfect case. They want a 100% win rate. Who cares about a 100% win rate? We need to prosecute. We have to go after the cartels with everything and take the battle to them. We’ll lose some battles, but who cares?”

Other topics discussed during the panel included the following:

Over-the-counter naloxone. The panelists applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to approve an over-the-counter nasal spray formulation of naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication. Carter said the medication “should be in every medicine cabinet in America.”

Legislative opportunities. US Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania advocated for legislation to rein in excessive volumes of addictive opioids by establishing licensure requirements for pharmaceutical representatives, strengthening prescription drug monitoring programs, and expanding Medicare coverage for opioid alternatives. Cartwright, who practiced trial law for 25 years, also said consideration should be given to allocating funds from opioid trial settlements toward support of drug courts, particularly those for veterans.

Reference

Rogers H, Trone D, Carter B. Plenary. Presented at Rx and Illicit Drug Summit; April 10-13, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia.