President Barack Obama will headline a prescription drug abuse summit in Atlanta on March 29 aimed at developing new guidelines for prescribing pain medications.

The White House said Tuesday that Obama will speak at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, which is billed as the largest gathering of professionals and advocates involving prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse.

The Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week issued new recommendations for primary care providers, who account for nearly half of all opioid prescriptions, to crack down on potential abuse. The White House also sent letters to every governor urging more state involvement in “turning the tide” of the drug and heroin epidemic.

Obama has proposed spending $1.1 billion this year for new funding to expand access to medication-assisted treatment and counseling for opioid use disorders.

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Living in Louisville in rural Jefferson County, Jessica Lewis (back) regularly traveled nearly an hour each way for OB-GYN visits while she was pregnant with her now-11-month-old-son, Desmond. The 35-year-old tax preparer is among many in Georgia forced to make long drives for access to gynecological care. Others are not able to do so, part of why prenatal visit data has gotten worse in recent years. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, Unsplash)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC