Blumenthal Statement on CDC's New Opioid Prescribing Guidelines for Chronic Pain

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today issued the following statement in response to new guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the prescribing of opioids for chronic pain.

“The CDC’s new opioid prescribing guidelines are an overdue but positive step that will help stem addiction and save lives—if they are respected. The guidelines can help ensure safe and effective treatment for patients without compromising access to needed treatment. The over-prescription of painkillers ferociously feeds the rampant opioid epidemic currently sweeping our country like a hurricane, and these commonsense guidelines will usher in changes that will help calm this deadly storm. I am pleased the CDC included recommendations I have long advocated to reduce abuse, including increasing the use of alternative treatments for chronic pain and encouraging prescribers to consult their state’s prescription drug monitoring program. Addressing the dangers of opioid overprescription is a simple, front-end solution to stem a crisis that is ravaging our communities."

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