Project My Sisters Keeper - The Tammy Boyet-Sawyer Initiative : Creating a National Prescription Monitoring Program

Dear Members of Congress,

"Project My Sister's Keeper-The Tammy Boyet-Sawyer Initiative"

Since losing my older sister, Tammy Marie Boyet-Sawyer, in January 2009 to an accidental prescription narcotic & antidepressant overdose, I have felt compelled to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to save someone elses sister or family member from their deadly prescription drug addiction.

There is so much to do. I need your help.

I have created "Project My Sister's Keeper-The Tammy Boyet Sawyer Initiative" to use as a tool to educate, support, and promote the legislative changes necessary to End The Deadly Prescription Addiction Epidemic that is plaguing the State of Missouri and our Nation.

I believe a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) in Missouri and on a National level would drastically reduce the number of people addicted to prescription narcotic drugs, and ultimately save the lives of thousands.

Although many states currently have them, Missouri does not and there is not a National Prescription Monitoring Program functioning either.

Im working tirelessly right now to research the most efficient way to get a bill passed that would require Missouri's and our Nation's physicians & pharmacies to work cooperatively to set up and maintain PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAMS (PMP).

Thus, this petition....

A PMP would require practitioners to run the PMP Report and review it for any signs of substance abuse BEFORE prescribing or dispensing NARCOTIC drugs to a patient.

In essence, any physician that your loved one had an appointment with would be aware of their narcotic drug history and know best how to treat their illness without contributing to or facilitating their addiction. (This one measure could literally save a person's life!)

A Prescription Monitoring Program report is designed to clearly show the patient's narcotic drug history, including patient's name, prescribing physician(s), pharmacy(ies), date(s), TYPE(S) OF NARCOTIC(S), strength(s) and quantity(ies).

The report is designed to be very simple to read for both practioners and pharmacists.

This legisltion and program would absolutely put an end to "doctor shopping" for narcotic drugs and illicit and unwarranted prescribing while also ensuring that the medications stay available for legitimate usage.

Another very important benefit of the PMP is that it can identify those patients in need of a drug program due to abuse or addiction and assist their treating physicians in raising the subject of treatment.

I know that Missouri has "proposed" a PMP in 2006 but we cannot afford to wait!

If there had been a Prescription Monitoring Plan in place in Missouri this year, my sister Tammy would still be alive!

Too many of our friends and families and children are dying needlessly because of their prescription addictions.

And those who legitimately need pain management are finding it harder and harder to access treatment.

We have to make it stop! We have to do something now!

We are always told that for an addict to get help they MUST reach their bottom.

Well, I ask each of you then, where's our bottom?

How many more lives are we willing to lose to accidental prescription drug overdose? How many more innocent victims will we allow to be forever changed by the destruction that is addiction.

WE CAN CHANGE these statistics. WE CAN CHANGE the cycle & start saving lives by getting these important laws passed!

Under this proposed bill, the following would go into effect:

1. Missouri and The United States would be REQUIRED to set up a Prescription Monitoring Program within a SPECIFIED amount of time. (Many states already have them functioning successfully and could possibly serve as a template.)

2. Practitioners would be REQUIRED to run a patient's Prescription Monitoring Report and review it for signs of abuse BEFORE prescribing or dispensing NARCOTICS to a patient.

Please Congress, will you join us in these life changing and life saving efforts?

Sincerely and Respectfully Yours,

Crystal Boyet-Hampton & Concerned Citizens