Washington to Wilmington: The Latest From Warren, Markey & Moulton

Below is the latest news from the offices of Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Seth Moulton.

Senator Elizabeth Warren

Bipartisan Group of Senators Urges DEA to Clarify “Partial Fill” Policies to Help Address Opioid Crisis

Washington, DC – United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) sent a bipartisan letter asking the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to clarify that partial filling of Schedule II opioid drugs is permitted under federal law.

“States like Massachusetts are considering policies that would give patients, their providers, and pharmacists the option to dispense opioid medication a few days’ supply at a time, up to the total amount in the prescription, so that patients don’t receive more drugs than they will use,” wrote the senators. “These ‘partial-fill’ policies could empower patients to work with their doctor and pharmacist to achieve the desired level of pain control while also limiting the amount of unused medication in their home.”

But the Controlled Substances Act and the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act are both silent with regards to the partial filling of prescriptions. “While these regulations do not specifically prohibit partially filling prescriptions for Schedule II substances in other scenarios, the lack of clarity has deterred states from moving forward with partial fill policies,” the senators wrote.

The letter requests that the DEA “issue guidance or undertake the rulemaking process to clarify that Schedule II opioid drugs are permitted to be partially filled under federal law.  This modest change can make a big difference in our fight against the opioid epidemic.”

Read a PDF copy of the letter here.

Additional Press Releases and Statements from Senator Warren’s Office:

Senator Ed Markey

Senators Ask Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Liquid Nicotine Retailers for Unfair or Deceptive Practices

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) was today joined by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking it to investigate unfair or deceptive acts of liquid-nicotine retailers. The organization First Focus has found that there are many cases of these retailers advertising liquid nicotine as recognizable brand names of candy, breakfast cereal, and other foods and drinks, including Red Vines, A&W Root Beer, Trix, Bubblicious, and Swedish Fish. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of increased numbers of calls to poison control centers for liquid nicotine exposure, and it is reported that one half teaspoon of liquid nicotine can cause severe stomach aches, seizures, difficulty breathing and even death.
“Nicotine’s dangerous and addictive properties are well documented.  Liquid nicotine poses an especially serious threat to children,” write the Senators in the letter to the FTC. “We must not tolerate the marketing of a harmful chemical to teenagers and children, especially under the imprimatur of recognizable brands — an advertising activity plainly undertaken to create a new generation of nicotine-addicted smokers or ‘vapers.’ ”
A copy of the letter to the FTC can be found HERE.
Copies of the letter to the liquid nicotine retailers can be found HERE. Copies of the letter to the candy/cereal companies can be found HERE. The full list of the 167 liquid nicotine retailers and 25 candy/cereal companies who were sent letters can be found HERE.

Additional Press Releases and Statements from Senator Markey’s Office:

Representative Seth Moulton

Representative Moulton’s office has not issued any press releases or statements recently.

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