Senator Collins Applauds DOJ’s Formation of New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that it is launching a New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force.  The strike force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit; prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont; and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI.  Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, Jr., called Senator Collins yesterday to brief her on this development.

“Last year, there were more than 9,500 drug overdoses in our state, and 636 Mainers died as a result—a tragic record.  I have long advocated for an all-of-the-above approach to address the opioid epidemic that is harming countless families,” said Senator Collins.  “Attorney General Garland and I have spoken many times about this public health crisis, and I appreciate this positive step taken by the Department of Justice.  Curtailing the oversupply of opioids in communities will help reduce the number of gateways for addiction.  The DOJ’s action today will complement the efforts by the Maine Medical Association and Maine’s licensure board, which have done a good job educating doctors in Maine about appropriate best practices for prescribing opioids.  As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support prevention, treatment, and recovery programs to expand vital assistance to Mainers who are struggling with addiction.”

The mission of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances.  The strike force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.

The New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force.  Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids.  Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills.  To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.

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As a member of the Health Committee and Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is dedicated to providing Mainers and local communities with the treatment and resources they need to tackle the opioid epidemic.

In 2018, a sweeping opioids package known as the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act was signed into law. Senator Collins, a member of the Senate Health Committee, authored two provisions included in the final legislation that will help to ensure that unused prescription drugs do not fall into the wrong hands and to bolster peer support networks for long-term recovery. The legislation also included provisions championed by Senator Collins to expand opioid treatment capabilities, including a permanent authorization for nurse practitioners and physicians assistants to provide medication-assisted treatment and removing an arbitrary limit to allow residential treatment facilities to expand their efforts to save lives. 

Earlier this year, Senator Collins secured more than $1.6 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 Health and Human Services Appropriations bill to expand substance abuse prevention and treatment services in Maine.  In November 2021, Senator Collins introduced bipartisan legislation to support hospitals in hiring and training doctors in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain management.

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