Academy Publishes Position Statements on Medical Marijuana and Opioids The AAN recently published position statements on two topics often in the news and discussed with patients: medical marijuana and opioids. Both of these position statements can be read at AAN.com/policy-and-guidelines/ policy/position-statements.
Medical Marijuana Position Statement—Updated The AAN’s original Medical Marijuana Position Statement was approved in 2015. Since that time, 30 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to support comprehensive medical marijuana programs. While states have made significant progress, federal law still prohibits the research and prescribing of marijuana. This updated position statement provides clarity on the AAN’s position in a complicated landscape. The Academy supports scientific research of medical marijuana, which includes rescheduling from a Schedule I to a Schedule II substance. The Academy does not support the legalization or prescribing of medical marijuana.
Opioid Position Statement—New The new Opioid Position Statement provides information for legislators and policymakers about the important role neurologists play in protecting the brain from the damaging impacts of opioid misuse and abuse. Neurologists are not leading prescribers of opioids, but they treat many patients with pain, which is poorly understood and currently has few viable non-opioid treatments available. This statement establishes the AAN’s position on opioids and the treatment of pain. The Academy supports funding for research of nonopioid pain therapies, the impact of opioids on the developing and recovering brain, and gaps in addiction and recovery services. The Academy also supports interoperability USE OF MEDIC AL MARIJ FOR NEUROL NA with electronic health OGIC DISORUA DERS Background Info rmation records and prescription monitoring programs as S OPIOID well as scienceation nd Inform Description of Backgrou the Issue based resources ue at all points of tion of Iss Descrip care to promote safe prescribing Position practices. The AAN The POSITION STAT EMENT:
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Capitol Hill Report Capitol Hill Report presents regular updates on legislative and regulatory actions and how the Academy ensures that the voice of neurology is heard on Capitol Hill. It is emailed to US members twice monthly and is posted at AAN.com/ view/HillReport. Below are some recent highlights. While Congress has taken little action to address the high cost of prescription medications, states are actively implementing legislative and regulatory solutions to lower drug prices. Transparency Legislation: California Senate Bill 17 requires manufacturers to provide 60-day notification and justification before raising the price of a drug by more than 16 percent in a two-year period. Nevada Senate Bill 539 requires insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers to disclose the cost of producing and marketing drugs along with the total percent of rebates that are passed on to consumers. Other states have introduced similar legislation in 2018. ‘Gag Rule’ Legislation: Connecticut Senate Bill 445, which became effective on January 1, bans pharmacy benefit managers from using contract provisions to prohibit pharmacists from informing consumers about less expensive alternatives for prescriptions. Maine, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Georgia each passed similar legislation in 2017 while more states consider the issue in 2018. Regulatory Approaches: New York enacted a law that requires the Department of Health to establish a Medicaid Drug Spending Growth Target each year and demand additional rebates from drug manufacturers to meet that target. In a first for states, New Jersey used the administrative rulemaking process to cap contracts and payments between physicians and pharmaceutical companies at $10,000 per year for non-research and education-related payments. The rule was modeled after several institution-level policies that prohibit or limit industry payments. Prescription drug pricing is a top advocacy priority for the AAN in states and in Congress. To share your story about high drug costs, please contact advocacy@aan.com.
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