Reardon appointed to Indiana commission combating drug abuse

I am pleased to be serving as one of just two House members on the governor’s newly-created Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse. The 17-member group meets regularly to discuss how to address the growing problems surrounding drug abuse, find ways to collaborate among all levels of government and suggest legislation for the General Assembly to consider.

The legislature and the executive branch have made it a bipartisan priority to find ways to help those impacted by the opioid crisis, and we all know there is much more work ahead of us. Here are a few things the General Assembly accomplished this year:

Better Treatment Options — During the legislative session, we expanded and invested in statewide addiction treatment options; outlined steps to develop a report that details treatment facility capacity and location; specified the services that addiction treatment teams must provide; and established pilot programs for those recovering from addiction.

Increased Penalties and Dispensing Limits — Penalties have been increased for pharmacy robberies. In an effort to prevent over-prescribing of powerful painkillers, we passed a law that places dosage limits on first-time opioid prescriptions and allows patients, caretakers or guardians to request smaller prescription amounts if desired.