Congressmen Davis & Rutherford Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat the Fentanyl Epidemic
Congressmen Don Davis (NC-01) and John Rutherford (FL-05) reintroduced bipartisan legislation, the Modern Authentication of Pharmaceuticals (MAP) Act of 2025. The legislation would secure the American pharmaceutical supply chain and close vulnerabilities that allow counterfeit and illicit controlled substances, including lethal fentanyl, to enter the marketplace. As Congressmen Davis and Rutherford introduced the MAP Act, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, with a bipartisan vote of 312-108.
“We must take immediate action to stop the influx of fentanyl and counterfeit drugs from coming into communities across America,” said Congressman Don Davis. “We cannot stand idle while so many people, including children, are suffering from overdoses. With the MAP Act, we are implementing essential measures to curb the flow of illicit substances by tracking pharmaceuticals,” Davis added.
“As a lifetime member of law enforcement and former sheriff, I have seen firsthand the effects that counterfeit drugs have on our communities. Illicit fentanyl poisonings are now the leading cause of death among adults aged 18 to 49,” said Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05). “I am proud to join Congressman Davis in introducing legislation to create additional security around pharmaceuticals. This commonsense bill will help stop counterfeit drugs while ensuring those who rely on medication can verify its safety and authenticity.”
This bipartisan legislation will require on-dose identifiers on controlled substances to ensure the authenticity of essential medicines and enhance the security of the U.S. supply chain. Too often, pharmaceuticals from overseas lose traceability, posing an existential risk to both the consumer and manufacturer. The MAP Act takes a critical step toward combating the opioid crisis in the United States. It provides peace of mind to the 70 percent of Americans who rely on thousands of life-saving medications each and every day.
The U.S. faces a devastating opioid epidemic, partly driven by dangerous counterfeit products that infiltrate consumer markets. In 2022 alone, more than 108,000 people died in the U.S. because of an opioid overdose—a staggeringly high death toll that has abated little since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration also reports that across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, it has seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The 2023 seizures are equivalent to more than 390 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
From 2000-2022, more than 36,000 North Carolinians lost their lives to a drug overdose. Recent year death data is not yet final, but an estimated 4,000 North Carolinians (11 per day) are projected to have died from an overdose in 2023. An estimated five residents across North Carolina’s First Congressional District succumb to drug overdoses every week.