Gov. Baker: Massachusetts Should Be Model For Opioid Fight
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gov. Charlie Baker, who sits on the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, says he believes some of what Massachusetts has done to combat opioids should become the national model.
The commission was created in March, and the Governor says it has met several times.
Baker pointed to the state's prescription drug monitoring program as an example of a Massachusetts initiative that would work well nationwide.
"We doubled the number of inquiries on that prescription management program over the past year or so," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal. "And at the same time, the number of prescriptions that have been written in Massachusetts has actually gone down quite a bit. So I would like to see that kind of stuff become part of a national program."
.@MassGovernor, who sits on @POTUS' #opioid Crisis Commission, says he hopes MA anti- #addition steps will become national policy. #mapoli
— KarynRegal (@Karynregal) August 27, 2017
He also pointed to the state requirement that state medical, nursing, and pharmacy students have to take a course in pain management to graduate.
"We basically worked out a deal with the medical schools, nursing schools, pharmacy schools, and dental schools here in Massachusetts where you can't graduate from any of them without passing a core curriculum in opioid therapy and pain management," Baker said. "I would love to see that become national policy."
And @MassGovernor says he hopes @POTUS remains focused on fighting #opioid #addition,when I asked him if the issue will survive current WH.
— KarynRegal (@Karynregal) August 27, 2017
The panel is due to make recommendations to the White House this fall--and Baker said he hopes the president listens.
"We're going to have to stick with this one and stay on it," he said.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports