This year Massachusetts voters will head to the polls to decide whether four initiative petitions will become law. In Massachusetts, the Secretary of the Commonwealth‘s Office publishes and distributes a voter guide, which contains information on each question. There is a summary of the proposed law, which is written by the Attorney General’s Office; an explanation of a …
Continue reading “Citizens’ Initiative Review Pilot Program: Question 4”
Last week, the legislature reached agreement on legislation to control opioid drug abuse. The bill does a lot and I was pleased to support it. Compromises were reached on many of the key issues discussed on this site over the past few months.
A medical marijuana dispensary has been proposed on Harvard Avenue in Allston and is moving through the state approval process. The company has secured signatures on a petition indicating non-opposition from nearby businesses and a letter of support from the Allston Civic Association. In November 2012, 65% of voters approved a ballot question to legalize medical marijuana.
The legislature’s emerging approach to the issue of how to handle patients admitted with overdoses is sound — it requires hospitals to offer more to people with addictions, without turning doctors into police.
Another big theme in the discussion about the opioid epidemic is treatment — making treatment for the disease of addiction more available in a host of ways. This piece offers background on the issue of coerced treatment and seeks feedback on the Governor’s proposal to allow physicians to hold people with addictions against their will for days or, in some cases, months for treatment.
Early next year, the legislature will likely continue efforts to address the rising dysfunction, disability and death from opioid drug abuse. Physicians face powerful conflicting goals and incentives in treating pain; pain is a real problem and addiction is a real problem. Based on what you are seeing and hearing yourself, are doctors getting the balance wrong and making pain medication too readily available?
