Statement from State Sen. Erin Houchin regarding State of the State

Indiana State Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem) made the following statement today
regarding Gov. Eric Holcomb’s 2018 State of the State Address:

STATEHOUSE (Jan. 9, 2018) – “As Gov. Holcomb addressed the Indiana General Assembly and Hoosiers across Indiana during his State of the State address, it was encouraging to hear of the successes of our state, and his vision to take Indiana to the next level.

“I am especially pleased with Gov. Holcomb’s focus on combating our increasing drug epidemic, and am proud to be the author of Senate Bill 221, which has been included on his 2018 Next Level Agenda.

“By reforming Indiana’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (INSPECT) and requiring prescribers of opioids and benzodiazepines to search a patient’s previous prescription history, we can determine if individuals are ‘doctor hopping’ for multiple prescriptions, are using their prescriptions at a rate higher than recommended, or are at risk for an overdose.

“Attacking the opioid epidemic at the source - the prescription pad - is a vital step in our efforts to halt addiction before it starts and cut back on the number of dangerous pills flowing into our communities.

“I am thankful to Gov. Holcomb for including this legislation on his agenda, and am looking forward to working on this and other issues along with my colleagues in the General Assembly.”