H.R. 4509: NOPAIN for Veterans Act

The NOPAIN for Veterans Act is a proposed piece of legislation aimed at improving pain management for veterans by expanding their access to non-opioid pain medications. Here’s a breakdown of its key components:

Purpose of the Bill

The bill seeks to amend existing laws to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides certain non-opioid pain medications to veterans. The main goal is to reduce reliance on opioids, which can lead to addiction and other negative health outcomes.

Definitions and Scope

The bill establishes a definition for what constitutes a "non-opioid pain management drug or biological product." This is defined as any drug or biological product that:

• Is approved, granted, or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Is intended to reduce postoperative pain or provide analgesia without affecting the body's opioid receptors.

Requirements for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The bill sets forth specific requirements for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs:

• Within one year of a non-opioid pain management drug becoming eligible for certain payment under Medicare guidelines, the Secretary must include that drug in the national formulary of the VA.
• The Secretary must also include these non-opioid drugs in the drug standardization list of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Funding Limitations

The bill stipulates that no funds from the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund can be used to implement the provisions related to non-opioid pain management drugs as outlined in the bill.

Implementation Timeline

Once enacted, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to implement the provisions of the bill within 90 days.

Relevant Companies

• AMGN (Amgen Inc.): As a company involved in the development of various biopharmaceuticals, Amgen may see a direct impact through the introduction of its non-opioid pain medications if they receive approval from the FDA.
• ABBV (AbbVie Inc.): Known for its research in pain management, AbbVie might be affected if their non-opioid products become part of the VA's formulary.