President Biden recently nominated Xavier Becerra as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Senate has since confirmed him. Becerra previously served as Attorney General of California and took action against opioid abuse on several occasions. One such effort was in January of this year when he joined a coalition of attorneys in an attempt to convince the FDA to update them on their work to fight the opioid epidemic. In a previous post, titled “Opioids and COVID-19,” I mentioned the connection between COVID-19 and the increased instances of opioid overdose. Becerra emphasized this point in a statement directed at the FDA, “The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us all and further exacerbated the opioid crisis—people need support now more than ever.”
Becerra facilitated another huge success regarding the opioid crisis in February. Along with many other attorneys, he secured a $573 million settlement from the McKinsey & Company firm. This achievement was the culmination of an investigation into the firm’s role in counseling opioid companies. These actions allowed them to profit from the epidemic, which has caused so many others great strife. Luckily, the state of California received almost $60 million from the settlement, which is going toward the families and communities impacted by the opioid crisis.
In his confirmation hearing, Becerra made a statement involving opioids that I feel is also noteworthy. Senator Maggie Hassan mentions the ‘X Waiver,’ which limits the number of physicians able to prescribe medication that treats substance abuse. She notes the irony that doctors are practically unregulated in how they prescribe the opioids that lead to this substance abuse disorder in the first place. Becerra acknowledges this concern and says Biden shares interest but would like to be deliberate with his actions. They want to come to the best solution while avoiding court involvement. I believe this is a good approach, and I hope Becerra continues to make strides toward resolving the opioid epidemic in his new position.
Sources:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?509069-1/hhs-secretary-nominee-xavier-becerra-confirmation-hearing
Brice Rider 