Mike Rogers Faces Scrutiny Over Opioid Legislation Record
In his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, Republican candidate Mike Rogers is under fire for his portrayal of his efforts to combat the opioid crisis. An editorial in Deadline Detroit has spotlighted discrepancies in his claimed achievements.
Rogers, who served in Congress from 2001 to 2015, has been criticized for supporting the National Pain Care Policy Act. The legislation, according to some critics, may have inadvertently encouraged the prescription of potent drugs like OxyContin for chronic pain management.
Highlighting his voting record, Rogers stated, “In Congress, I voted to allow Americans who are suffering from debilitating pain to have access to the treatment they need to live comfortably.” He asserted that the act included measures to curb excessive prescription and addiction.
However, the National Pain Care Policy Act actually lacked any penalties for overprescription, did not establish limits for prescribing, nor did it expand law enforcement’s role in opioid monitoring.
Rogers had previously promoted the act alongside the American Pain Society in 2003, a group that advocated for awareness of chronic pain and pharmaceutical treatments. The society disbanded in 2019 amid allegations of collaboration with drug companies to push opioid usage.
Additionally, Rogers has faced backlash for accepting substantial donations from the pharmaceutical sector, accumulating over $1 million from industry entities since 1999.
Statistics from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reveal a strong link between opioid prescription rates and overdose incidences in Michigan, notably between 2001 and 2010. The FDA’s intervention in 2010 to reformulate OxyContin marked a decline in prescriptions, yet a subsequent increase in heroin and fentanyl overdoses was observed.
Rogers is anticipated to secure a win in the Republican primary on August 4, following an unsuccessful Senate run in 2024.
Several Democratic candidates are vying to oppose Rogers, including Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
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