Vermont Gov. Recommends New Limits on Painkillers

The governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, has recently proposed a new way to combat the opioid epidemic overtaking his state and the rest of the nation. 

Gov. Shumlin’s proposal would require “doctors and patients to work together to determine specific levels of pain, and then have appropriate amounts of medication dispensed based on that” (Ackerman, 2016). Minor procedures and moderate pain would only allow a prescription for nine to twelve opioid pills, based on what kind of medication is prescribed. Higher amounts of medication could be prescribed for more complex procedures and those with severe pain. 

“This is not a hard problem to solve,” stated the governor. “We didn’t have a heroin crisis in America before OxyContin was approved and started being handed out like candy,” he stated (Ackerman, 2016). 

These guidelines could go into effect as early as December 2016 if they are approved. 

Ackerman, M. (2016). Vermont governor proposes new limits on opioid prescriptions. Retrieved from https://www.thefix.com/vermont-governor-proposes-new-limits-opioid-prescriptions