As your congressman, I am working every day to find common-sense solutions to problems that face our country. One of my favorite parts of working for you is the opportunity to travel around the district spending valuable time visiting with and listening to you. I believe the solutions to the challenges that our country faces come from people like you, not the bureaucrats in Washington,.
One issue that has recently come to my attention is a legislative glitch that would affect EMS personnel’s ability to administer or deliver life-saving medications. Right now, established practice allows EMS personnel to administer and deliver medically appropriate medicines to patients under the supervision of a doctor. However, in a recent review of the Controlled Substances Act, the Department of Justice determined that legislation is needed to continue allowing this practice.
This means that absent congressional action, patients could lose access to those life-saving medications in emergency situations. Our laws and regulations have not kept pace with the evolution of medicine and could prohibit the very personnel trained to administer these vital medications from doing their jobs.
Imagine if a loved one was in a car wreck or was having a seizure, but EMS personnel couldn’t administer medication until he or she was transported to a hospital. In rural areas, hospitals and clinics can be difficult to access, and in many cases the immediate administration of treatments can prevent death or permanent disability. This is a prime example of government getting in the way of good practice, and the exact type of problem you elected me to fix.
After a constituent told me about this glitch, I immediately started working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2016.
This bipartisan legislation clarifies existing law so that EMS personnel, under the supervision of a physician, can continue to administer life-saving medications to patients while maintaining vigorous oversight of storage protocols and procedures. This is vital for our patients and EMS personnel in North Carolina and across the United States.
While this is a small fix in the grand scheme of things, it’s vitally important, and I hope Congress will start applying this example to some of the bigger issues facing our country. If a problem is identified that needs to be fixed, then we need to fix it.
I didn’t come to Washington to merely vote yes or no on legislation. I came to Washington to roll up my sleeves, be an advocate for issues important to you and ensure that polices are put in place to make life better for folks in North Carolina.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Concord, represents North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Anson County.