Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) have expressed their satisfaction after the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA), a legislation aimed at expanding access to methadone treatment for opioid use disorder. The bipartisan bill would allow board certified addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry doctors registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe methadone that patients could pick up at a pharmacy.

According to Senators Paul and Markey, the current laws surrounding methadone treatment are outdated and have led to the criminalization and stigmatization of individuals seeking recovery. They believe that these laws are costing lives and that reform is urgently needed to provide people with the treatment they need, regardless of where they live. The passage of the MOTAA represents a significant step towards reducing stigma, expanding access, and ultimately saving lives in communities across the country.

"We are pleased that our colleagues are joining with us in passing the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act," said Senators Paul and Markey in a joint statement. "Together, we took an essential step towards reducing stigma, expanding access, and saving lives in communities all across the country. We will keep fighting until the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act is signed into law."

The MOTAA was introduced by Senators Paul and Markey, along with Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Don Bacon (NE-02), in March. The bill has garnered support from several other senators, including Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The passage of this legislation marks the first major reform to methadone in half a century and has received support from hundreds of clinicians and medical organizations. The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act aims to remove barriers to methadone treatment and ensure that individuals in need have access to this lifesaving medication.

For more information on the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, please visit [link to the bill].

Source: Senator Rand Paul

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.paul.senate.gov/senators-paul-markey-celebrate-bipartisan-committee-passage-of-lifesaving-methadone-expansion-legislation/