Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force, and Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) introduced the Analyzing and Leveraging Existing Rx Transactions (ALERT) Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require that products they deem to be at risk for misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose or drug interactions be dispensed using a prescription safety alert system. The alert system would use existing prescription and dispensing data to review patient prescription history, including fill attempts, and would alert dispensers in real-time when a patient is at risk for abuse or harm by a drug.

“Tackling opioid and substance misuse in New Hampshire and across the country is an all hands on deck effort,” said Kuster. “This legislation will address gaps in existing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and enable prescribers to use data already in their possession to help safeguard patients at risk of opioid abuse. I’m pleased to join Congressman Mullin to introduce this bipartisan, commonsense measure, and I urge House leadership to take it up for a vote.”

“The opioid crisis took the lives of over 70,000 Americans in 2017,” said Mullin.  “It is vital that our efforts to combat this deadly crisis do not cease.  Alongside the prescription drug monitoring program, which several states including Oklahoma already utilize, this legislation would provide an additional layer of security to help health care providers monitor patients who are at risk of abusing opioids. I look forward to working with Congresswoman Kuster to see this legislation brought to the House floor as soon as possible.”   

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