In March of this year, the Senate passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) introduced by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). The bill includes amendments for mandatory prescriber education, expanded consumer education, increased funding for substance abuse treatment, increased accountability on the part of the FDA prior to the approval of new opioid medications, and changes to the wording of the FDA’s mission statement: “The FDA is also responsible for protecting the public health by strongly considering the danger of addiction and overdose death associated with prescription opioid medications when approving these medications and when regulating the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of opioid medications.” Continue reading →