Baker: Feds Must Do More In Fight Against Opioid Abuse

Boston (AP) - Republican Gov. Charlie Baker is calling on federal health officials to play a bigger role in the battle against opioid abuse.

Baker told reporters Monday that the federal government should require more opioid education as part of the curriculum in dental, medical and nursing schools.

He also says they could do more to support treatment.

Baker says there's still debate about the best way to fight opioid addiction and federal research organizations like the National Institutes of Health could help states and medical providers ``get a lot smarter about what works on treatment.''

Baker's comments come just one week after he signed what he called the most comprehensive law in the nation to combat the opioid scourge. The law includes a seven-day limit on first-time prescriptions for opiate painkillers.