Rep.Wayne Sasser 

NC House 67 

Combating the opioid epidemic continues to be a personal fight for me, even before I was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. As a registered pharmacist for 40 years, I experienced the firsthand effects of the opioid epidemic and the devastating impact it has on families. Now, as a member of the state legislature, I work tirelessly on legislation to combat this crisis that continues to claim too many victims.

In the U.S. today, a growing number of victims come from a surprising population, America’s seniors. Over an 8 year period, emergency department visits for opioid misuse rose 220% for those above the age of 65. Opioid deaths have risen tenfold among older individuals.

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to opioid abuse. Older Americans often turn to prescription opioids to manage chronic conditions like arthritis or post-surgical pain. These legitimate uses of opioids can often lead to bad outcomes.

Unlike some populations, seniors obtain their opioids legally. Often, their prescriptions are paid for by Medicare. In 2016, one in three individuals with a Medicare prescription drug plan received an opioid prescription. Unsurprisingly, increased opioid prescriptions have led to increased opioid misuse. Between 2013 and 2018, for example, there was a threefold increase in opioid use disorder among Medicare enrollees.

It is clear that if we want to address the opioid crisis among seniors, we must address Medicare. This year, a group of bipartisan lawmakers have introduced the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act (Alternatives to PAIN Act). This bill would ensure that new non-opioid pain treatments are accessible under Medicare and financially affordable for beneficiaries.

Non-opioid pain medications are being developed quickly and are expected to reach the market soon. These treatments have been shown to significantly reduce pain for patients, but do not have major side effects that come with opioids. Once available, they would give seniors a greater number of pain management options.

The Alternatives to PAIN Act is designed to ensure these new treatments will be accessible to seniors covered by Medicare. Passing this bill will increase the number of pain management choices available to seniors and helps lessen the financial burden opioids have had on the healthcare system. Providers will be able to prescribe seniors with the pain medications that meet their needs.

Non-opioid pain treatments hold tremendous promise in the fight against opioid misuse. But that promise will only be fulfilled if seniors can access them. To help combat this crisis among North Carolina’s senior population, it is vital that we provide them with a wide variety of the best possible, non-opioid pain management medications on the market. That’s why I hope that members of our state’s Congressional delegation will support the Alternatives to PAIN Act so we can reduce dependency on opioids.