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Minnesota Senate OKs plan to help combat opioid epidemic

Star Tribune - 4/1/2019

April 01--The Minnesota Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase fees sharply on makers of addictive prescription drugs in order to raise $20 million to combat the opioid epidemic.

The bipartisan 69-5 vote came two weeks after the state House passed a similar measure, setting up negotiations to work out differences in the two bills before sending a final compromise to Gov. Tim Walz, who has said he will sign the final proposal into law.

Supporters celebrated the vote as a key victory in a yearslong effort to hold prescription drug companies accountable for their role in what state Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Vernon Center, called “a very serious public health emergency.”

“It’s time to get this done,” Rosen continued. “It’s time to get some relief out to this state.”

The Senate bill raises the annual licensing fee for opioid manufacturers that sell their product in the state from $235 to $55,000. Wholesalers and drug companies would pay $5,000 a year. Companies that sell or distribute 2 million or more units of opioids would pay an additional $250,000. Those fees would be reassessed if state or county lawsuits against manufacturers result in large settlements.

The money would pay for a comprehensive, statewide response to opioid addiction and deaths in the state, including prevention, treatment and research. A new 18-member council would set priorities and make grant recommendations. In addition to the funding, the bill creates new prescription requirements for cases of acute pain.

A record 422 Minnesotans died of opioid overdoses in 2017, according to data recently released by the Minnesota Department of Health. The fallout of the epidemic continues to strain law enforcement, medical providers and social services for children whose parents are unable to care from them due to their addiction.

Supporters say pharmaceutical companies must bear responsibility for the crisis ravaging many communities across the state. Opponents argue that the dramatically increased fees could increase costs for consumers. Pharmaceutical companies lobbying against the bill say they alone are not to blame and that they are already taking action to address opioid addiction.

Torey Van Oot • 651-925-5049

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