Critics of New Drug Enforcement Law Say It Could Worsen Opioid Epidemic

Critics of a new law that makes it more difficult for the government to take action against drug companies say the measure could worsen the opioid crisis, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama this spring. It allows companies accused of not reporting suspicious orders of prescription drugs to submit a “corrective action plan” to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to convince the agency to delay or call off proceedings against them.

The law also makes it more difficult for the DEA to temporarily suspend drug companies’ licenses. Proponents of the law say it keeps medications available for legitimate patients, and encourages cooperation between the drug industry and law enforcement.