Perhaps our pleas to lawmakers have had an impact.
Please contact your local representatives so they can put some pressure to get this bill approved.
The goal of this bill (S. 2260) is to expand, intensify, and coordinate fundamental, translational, and clinical research capabilities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to opioid abuse, the understanding of pain, and the discovery and development of safer and more effective treatments and preventive interventions for pain. ”
This is a 5 year, $5 Billion (with a B) initiative that supports the following:
1. directs the National Institutes of Health to intensify and coordinate fundamental, translational, and clinical research with respect to
(A) the understanding of pain;
(B) the discovery and development of therapies for chronic pain; and
(C) the development of alternatives to opioids for effective pain treatments.
2. Developing improved options and evidence for medication-assisted treatment.
3. Developing improved options and evidence for opioid overdose reversal treatments.
4. The Federal Pain Research Strategy, including research that focuses on—
(A) novel drugs, non-addictive, and non-pharmacological treatments for pain;
(B) screening tools and outcome measures for assessments across the continuum of pain;
(C) national registries, datasets, and research networks;
(D) effective models of care delivery for pain management; and
(E) precision medicine methodology to prevent and treat pain.
5. The components of the Department of Health and Human Services five-point strategy to address the opioid crisis that states: “Providing support for cutting edge research on pain and addiction”.
6. The pain therapy screening program established under section 4.
7. Other elements that the Secretary of Health and Human Services may designate, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
Hopefully we can get enough support to get this bill approved!
https://www.congress.gov/…/115th-cong…/senate-bill/2260/text
