SB 482 Support

It was reported today in a Kaiser News Report  that opioid medical services have increased over 3000% since 2007. Please see email to me from Lori Kammerer SB Cal’s Public Affairs person. Please let me know if your association or your company can sign onto this. Besides Small Business California,the Cal Chamber , Consumer Federation, California Narcotics Officers Association and the Teamsters have signed letters of support. If you need additional information please let me know.

I think at this point, it’s better to ask the associations or individual small businesses to sign on to SB Cal’s Assembly Floor Alert that will be sent out next week.  I think we’ll have more of a response.  We just need their company name and contact and I’ll add them to the Floor Alert.  Below is a short synopsis of the bill.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses are the top cause of accidental death in the United States (3).  Nearly 23,000 people died from an overdose of pharmaceuticals in 2013 nationally – more than 70% of them from opiate prescription painkillers.  The CURES database is an invaluable investigative, preventive, and educational tool for law enforcement and the healthcare community.

The California Attorney General's Office believes that if doctors and pharmacies have access to controlled substance history information at the point of care, it will help them make better prescribing decisions and cut down on prescription drug abuse in California.  The current voluntary approach has not been able to attract sufficient participation to make it truly effective.

Senate Bill 482 requires all prescribers to consult the CURES system before issuing Schedule II and III drugs. This will enable prescribers to make informed decisions about their patient’s care and limit the number of people who doctor shop and over use prescription drugs. This bill will only become operative once the AG’s office certifies the system update is fully operative. Additionally, prescribers will not be held liable if at the time of the prescription CURES is unavailable.

We urge the California State Assembly to vote AYE when SB 482 (Lara) is presented for a Floor vote.

Again a reminder  to please complete our 12^th Annual survey of small businesses around the state. You can access by going to www.smallbusinesscalifornia.org