With the severity of opioid addiction well known, South Dakota lawmakers are assessing how to best manage the powerful painkillers. Namely, potential new provisions relating to treatment using the substance.
HB 1137 was brought by Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Brian Mulder, who said it’s an effort to change the perception of “pain parity” in prescription drugs.
In essence, he said the bill would create a tiered system for preferred prescriptions.
“I keep on hearing, over and over, the drug problem we have in our county, in our city, and the need for more and more diversion programs, and more and more proactive ways for us to stop people from getting addicted to drugs,” Mulder said.
He explained the pain parity system, which has been codified in other states.
“It ensures access to novel, so new, non-opioid choices," Mulder said. "Pain is one of the most common reasons for patients to see a doctor, and there is a high unmet need for safe, effective medications to treat moderate to severe acute pain.”
The prescription opioid crisis of the mid-2010s may have hit South Dakota less intensely than the US average according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, but it was still felt here. That led many lawmakers and doctors to question the rate drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin were distributed.
Ultimately, this bill was unanimously killed by the House Health and Human Services Committee on Mulders request, in favor of issuing a summer study in the legislative offseason to address the matter. Mulder said he believes this will result in better legislation for the state long term.