Matsui Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Accountability and Monitor Suspicious Pharmaceutical Transactions

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) commemorates the one-year anniversary of the signing of historic opioid response legislation by introducing the Suspicious Order Identification Act of 2019. This bill aims to prevent drug diversion in real time before it has the ability to inflict damage in our communities. The legislation is co-authored by Congressman Bill Johnson (R-OH). Bill text can be found here.

Currently, no law enforcement agency or private party has the ability to provide real-time, nationwide oversight of all orders for controlled substances, which is a major contributing factor to disproportionate prescription opioid shipments to certain pharmacies across the country. The Suspicious Order Identification Act of 2019 eliminates this blind spot exploited by bad actors, guards against prescription drug diversion, and protects the integrity of the supply chain by requiring the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to create a program to share data in real time to ensure that the supply chain is able to stop a suspicious order before it is filled.

"We need every tool at our disposal to combat prescription drug addiction," said Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Sacramento's voice in Congress. "This critically important legislation creates a system that allows the DEA to monitor suspicious pharmaceutical transactions in real time. This will empower the DEA to step in and root out bad actors in the prescription drug supply chain that are abusing controlled substances or funneling them to those suffering from addiction. This is a strong and effective measure that will make communities safer. I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this bill and other prevention and treatment measures to help all families affected by substance use disorder."

One year ago, the bipartisan SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act was signed into law. This comprehensive bill attacks the opioid epidemic by boosting efforts to treat patients, prevent the over prescription of opioids and expedite the development of non-opioid pain medication, mitigate drug trafficking, and stem the increase in fentanyl usage.

Congresswoman Matsui successfully included critically important provisions within the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, including initiatives to incentivize the adoption of telehealth and telemental health in the treatment substance use disorder.

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