WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year, consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction. According to the proposal, the DEA has identified six frequently misused opioids that will see a reduction in manufacturing quotas: oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania fully supports the DOJ-DEA proposal, stating, “We enthusiastically support DOJ-DEA proposal to reduce manufacturing quotas for the most-frequently misused opioids…From prosecuting doctors who illegally divert prescription opioids, to disrupting online Darknet marketplaces selling fentanyl, to aggressively prosecuting drug trafficking organizations, our office is mobilizing all available resources to fight the opioid epidemic. DOJ-DEA’s action today is a critical step in ensuring that prescription opioids are not diverted and misused, as we combat the worst drug crisis in our nation’s history.”
The DEA considers data from many sources when setting the aggregate production quota (APQ), including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, “The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history. President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse.”
DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon added, “We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day. This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage communities across the country, the proposed reduction in manufacturing quotas is a step in the right direction. However, it remains to be seen whether this action will be enough to curb the flow of illicitly diverted opioids and address the root causes of the crisis.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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