Gov Appointed Opioid Task Force Makes Recommendations

A governor appointed task force charged with looking into opioid use and abuse in Michigan is making recommendations to help curb the growing problem.

The Michigan Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force, headed by Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, is suggesting more than a dozen changes. Among them would be more prescription drug drop-off bins, increased availability of Naloxone, a drug effective at reversing overdoses, and an upgrade of the Michigan Automated Prescription system (MAP) to provide healthcare professionals with a patient’s prescription use history. Calley says the MAP system is an antiquated and outdated technology that is voluntary and very difficult to use.

Governor Rick Snyder says another issue is the growing number of heroin overdoses in Michigan. He says opioids are a gateway drug to heroin, noting that opioid abusers often move on to heroin, which can be less expensive.