Mother battles lobbyist over new prescription drug law
Posted at: 02/05/2012 11:13 PM
By: Eddie Garcia, KOB Eyewitness News 4
An Albuquerque mother is pushing a bill in the New Mexico Legislature to limit prescription pain medication, but she said her efforts are under attack from medical lobbyists.
Last August, Jennifer Weiss found her 18-year-old son, Cameron dead in his room from a heroin overdose.
His descent into drugs didn't start at the point of a needle, she said.
It began after a high school wrestling injury and a prescription.
"The doctor told him you only need to take them for two or three days for the pain but yet he was given a 30-day prescription for this drug and he proceeded to use them, and that's what led to his eventual heroin addiction and ultimately his death," said Jennifer Weiss, president of the Heroin Awareness Committee.
Weiss is pushing S.B. 159. It would limit opiates to 7-day prescriptions but allow refills if needed.
The bill is getting bi-partisan support.
Even Gov. Susana Martinez is behind the measure.
New Mexico Medical Society lobbyists are fighting the bill arguing there is no cookie-cutter approach to treatment.
They say the bill infringes on the doctor-patient relationship.
"They're trying to make things out of the bill that aren't really there, and what we're trying to do is just limit the supply of narcotics on the streets and the access our kids have to these drugs," said Weiss.
Lobbyist said the bill would create barriers for patients who are seriously ill.
Weiss says that's not the case.
"We're talking about pain that is temporary and that is acute and that should be resolved within a couple days with pain killers - we're not talking about long term pain, we don't want people that have long term pain to be affected by this bill at all," Weiss said.
Despite the opposition, Weiss said the fight is a worthy one.
"I'm just extremely passionate about it - not only for what happened to me and my family but for the other families out there and other kids that are suffering," said Weiss.
On Monday, the bill will be debated in committee.
If it passes, it will go before the full state Senate for a vote.
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