Following reports that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly received defective Narcan applicators supplied by Teleflex Medical last week, Klobuchar wrote a letter to the CEO of Teleflex to ask for immediate action to ensure that its equipment functions properly and defective shipments are replaced
WASHINGTON, DC – After efforts from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Sheriff Rich Stanek, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will receive replacement Narcan applicators. Following reports that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly received defective Narcan applicators supplied by Teleflex Medical last week, Klobuchar wrote a letter to the CEO of Teleflex to ask for immediate action to ensure that its equipment functions properly and defective shipments are replaced.
“I am glad that Teleflex promptly heeded my call to replace this critical equipment,” Klobuchar said. “This action will help ensure that our law enforcement officers who are on the front lines of the fight against the opioid epidemic are equipped with the lifesaving tools they need.”
As a former Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar has long led local and national efforts to curb drug abuse and help people overcome addiction. Klobuchar was one of four senators, along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), to lead the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). This bipartisan bill, which was signed into law last July, encourages states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies in the fight against opioid addiction. At the end of 2016, $1 billion was made available by Congress to fund the national effort. To build on the monumental first step of CARA, Klobuchar also introduced the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, which would require the use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) in all states that receive certain federal funding to combat opioid abuse and also requires states to make their PDMP data available to other states. Klobuchar and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) also introduced the Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act, which would establish a permanent funding stream to provide and expand access to substance abuse treatment. In September 2014, the DEA implemented Klobuchar’s bipartisan Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act. Under the legislation, consumers are provided with more safe and responsible ways to dispose of unused prescription medications and controlled substances.
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