WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) released the following statement regarding the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to discontinue dangerous opioid prescribing guidelines. The decision comes less than one month after Congressman Rogers and Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA) released a report in May detailing Purdue Pharma's influence on WHO's opioid precribing recommendations. WHO's Director-General also responded to a joint letter issued by Reps. Rogers and Clark that accompanied the release of their report. 

“Given our domestic epidemic associated with the abuse and misuse of opioids, I am encouraged by the WHO’s actions to pull back dangerous prescribing guidelines that I fear could fan the flames of abuse on a global scale.

"I am hopeful the Director-General will take additional steps to mitigate the undue influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the development of WHO policy and to protect patients worldwide from addiction to these powerful narcotics.

"We will continue to maintain oversight of future actions, including the WHO’s recommendations concerning management of acute and chronic pain.

"If we are going to prevent more unnecessary overdose deaths, we must work together to educate, treat and enforce meaningful life-saving changes around the world.”

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Click the links below for more information: 

WHO guidelines on the pharmacological treatment of persisting pain in children with medical illnesses
https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/children_persisting_pain/en/
 
WHO guidelines on persisting pain in children
https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/guide_perspainchild/en/
 
Treatment Guidelines on Pain
https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/guide_on_pain/en/