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Legislation, Donation Aimed at Decreasing Chances of Potent Opioid Misuse

AG Jeff Landry Praises Latest Public-Partnership in Fight to End Opioid Epidemic

LAFAYETTE, LA – Flanked by State Senator Fred Mills, leadership from LHC Group, and numerous hospice care workers from Acadiana – Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry today announced another partnership to help end our State's opioid epidemic.

Following passage of SB 26 – legislation that grants nurses and hospice organizations the lawful ability to dispose of controlled substances upon the deaths of their patients, General Landry revealed a new partnership with Mallinckrodt that makes available for free 30,000 drug deactivation pouches to Louisiana hospice providers.

“Almost half of all opioid misuse starts with a friend or family member’s prescription,” said General Landry. “So we are committed to doing all that we can to get these potent drugs out of the wrong hands.”

“This legislation by Senator Mills and this generous donation from Mallinkrodt will surely assist Louisiana's dedicated hospice workers dispose of unused opioids,” added General Landry. “I am grateful for this important work by the Legislature and this valuable public-private partnership.”

“Prior to session, General Landry expressed his concern of leftover opioid prescriptions unaccountable at the time of death of a hospice patient,” said Senator Mills. “Collaboratively, General Landry, the Hospice community, and the Legislature successfully passed SB 26. I am certain that once this legislation is implemented it will have a positive outcome.”

“We’re honored to join Attorney General Landry, State Senator Mills, and our fellow hospice organizations throughout Louisiana in a collective effort to reduce the unauthorized access and use of controlled substances,” said LHC Group’s chairman and CEO Keith G. Myers. “The opioid crisis in our state is one that negatively impacts all of us, and providing the ability for our hospice nurses to dispose of these drugs when they are no longer needed, is an important step toward eradicating this scourge on our communities.”

“As a company focused on the health and well-being of our patients and communities, Mallinckrodt has long been a strong advocate of addressing the complex issues of opioid misuse and abuse that cause so much harm to families,” said Mark Trudeau, Mallinckrodt President and Chief Executive Officer. “We share the concerns of people across the nation, and believe that providing patients with a safe, environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused medications is critical in this fight against prescription drug abuse. Mallinckrodt is committed to working with policy makers, community leaders, law enforcement and industry partners to ensure the responsible use of pain medication and prevent unused medications from ending up in the wrong hands.”

This latest effort coincides with the prescription drug take back boxes that General Landry, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, and the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators have placed in law enforcement offices throughout Louisiana. A list of those box locations is available at 
www.endthedepidemicla.org. While those boxes remain accessible to all of the public, these drug deactivation pouches are currently only available to hospice organizations who sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Attorney General's Office.