Leading Pharmacies Forward May 29, 2018 ‘The Honorable Rick Scott Governor, State of Florida PLOS, The Capitol 400 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Dear Governor Scott: PPSC USA, LLC is the voice for Florida's small business, independently owned pharmacies at the state and national levels. We are actively involved in pharmacy and patient related policies throughout the United States. ‘As you can imagine, many of our community pharmacies throughout Florida are concerned about Florida’s opioid epidemic. Our pharmacy owners and pharmacists want to be able to provide more for their patients to ensure appropriate pain management does not lead to chronic addiction and increased potential for overdose. We believe all patients should be provided with protections and options to mitigate those risks. We want to thank you for your efforts in securing $5 million in state funding during this last legislative session to provide first responders with naloxone, and we believe this will help Florida kick-start additional safety measures necessary to tackle this crisis As you know, Congress continues to work toward funding various programs in order to address the opioid crisis. I was shocked to learn that under current federal regulations, state grantees receiving federal funds cannot include naloxone in the treatment activities in grant applications. Currently, federal rules require grantees to separate their funds, with 20 percent allocated for opioid abuse prevention and 80 percent reserved for the treatment of opioid abuse. Naloxone is currently designated under “opioid abuse prevention,” which means only 20 percent of funds can be used for it. This requires states like Florida to continue to allocate local funding to make up for the rest, and where we need additional flexibility to make up for limited dollars. This seems incredibly shortsighted. 4375-1 Capital Circle NE ® Tallahassee, FL 32308 # TOLL-FREE: 888-778-9909 TOLL-FREE FAX: 866-756-8415 © Wen: PPSCOnline.comLeading Pharmacies Forward As you continue to coordinate with federal policymakers, we hope you will support and encourage increased flexibility in how states address the opioid epidemic. States should be able to incorporate all tools, including naloxone, as they confront this deadly epidemic. We know Florida, and we characteristically do not fit into a “one size fits all” federal policy. This is a tough issue to tackle, however greater access to naloxone is a no brainer and will continue to help prevent and treat opioid overdoses. We are happy to be a resource for you and we look forward to further protecting Floridians from this terrible epidemic. Pee aha Vice President, Le CC: Secretary Celeste Philip 3375-1 Capital Circle NE # Tallahassee, FL. 32308 # ToLt-FREE: 888-778-9909 ‘TOLL-FREE Fax: 866-756-8415 © WEB: PPSCOnline.com