Manchin Statement on Walmart's New Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded Walmart’s announcement to limit the number of opioid pills prescribed for an initial opioid prescription, in line with the CDC’s opioid prescribing guidelines, and to require e-prescriptions of opioids and other controlled substances to reduce abuse and diversion.
“I applaud Walmart’s decision to proactively implement policies that will change the way they prescribe opioids and improve their prescription verification system. These changes will not only help us decrease the number of prescription opioids that make it to the street, but will help us crack down on fraudulent prescriptions. While I’m glad that there is a growing a coalition of companies that are proactively implementing changes to fight the opioid epidemic, there is more that has to be done. Physicians, pharmacies, community leaders, law enforcement, and countless others all must come together to find common sense solutions to this problem. It is my hope that other stakeholders take notice and engage in similar practices,” Senator Manchin said.
Walmart and Sam’s Club will restrict initial acute opioid prescriptions to no more than a seven-day supply, with up to a 50 morphine milligram equivalent maximum per day. Starting in 2020, Walmart and Sam’s Club will require e-prescriptions for controlled substances because they are harder to tamper with.
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