Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act

The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 is a United States federal statute enacted by the 114th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 19, 2016. It modified the Controlled Substances Act, which requires the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to identify "imminent danger to the public health and safety" before suspending the registration of a manufacturer, distributor, or dispenser for controlled substances privileges.[1]

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act
Enacted bythe 114th United States Congress
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as the "Enduring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015" (S. 483) by Orrin Hatch (R–UT) on February 12, 2015
  • Committee consideration by Senate Judiciary Committee
  • Passed the Senate on March 17, 2016 
  • Passed the House on April 12, 2016 
  • Signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 19, 2016

It "hampered the DEA's ability to seize suspicious shipments [of opioids]" within the context of the opioid epidemic.[2]

It was cosponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI], Sen. Marco Rubio [R-FL], Sen. David Vitter [R-LA], Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Bill Cassidy [R-LA].

An earlier iteration of the bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Marino [R-PA] and passed the House of Representatives in 2015.[3] This was purportedly the reason behind Marino's withdrawal of his candidacy for Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (aka drug czar).[4]

It has been reported on by various news agencies including the Washington Post,[5] Fox News,[6] USA Today,[7] and the story was originally broken by CBS/60 Minutes.[8]

References
  1. "S.483 - Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016". Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  2. "Who Profits from the Opioid Crisis? Meet the Secretive Sackler Family Making Billions from OxyContin" (Streamable Video). Democracy Now!. October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  3. "H.R.471 - Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015". Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  4. "Tom Marino, Trump's Pick As Drug Czar, Withdraws After Damaging Opioid Report". The Two Way. NPR. October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  5. Higham, Scott; Bernstein, Lenny (October 16, 2017). "Did President Obama know bill would strip DEA of power?". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  6. Llorente, Elizabeth (October 17, 2017). "Little-noticed law drug companies fought for: How it passed amid opioid crisis, what it does". Fox News. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  7. Gray, John (October 17, 2017). "Drug law hasn't hurt enforcement". USA Today. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  8. Whitaker, Bill (October 15, 2017). "Ex-DEA agent: Opioid crisis fueled by drug industry and Congress". CBS News. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
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