To analyze current policies aimed at addressing the opioid crisis, describe examples of the crisis, and suggest a few options to help solve the problem to the community. A stakeholder group of people in the community, including local policymakers, leaders, and concerned citizens. The United States of America is experiencing a severe crisis of opioid abuse. In 2019 alone, opioids took the lives of 50,000 Americans, and the economic burden from the problem is about $78.5 billion a year (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021). This issue concerns many stakeholders, from society and medical staff to individual policymakers and representatives of various structures like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Although different structures and organizations are making many efforts to stop the crisis, communities can also significantly contribute to solving the problem. Everyone present here can learn and do more than now, and then together community will save more lives. Today, I will present a description and analysis of policies against the opioid crisis, consider examples of the crisis, and propose several measures and actions that communities can take in this fight.
It is important to say that there are several main directions for political action in the fight against the opioid crisis. Key actors such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) prioritize the following:
- Improved access to treatment, prevention, and recovery services;
- Promote the availability and use of drugs that prevent overdoses;
- Healthcare surveillance for transparent reporting and collection of data to better understand the situation;
- Support research in understanding pain and safe methods of its management;
- Promoting different pain reduction methods (Collins, 2017; NIDA, 2021).
Most organizations involved in the fight against the crisis are focused on the mentioned goals. Organizations include Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CDC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other entities. Some organizations add their own goals; for instance, the Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership (HFPP) also seeks to identify and stop fraud and other dishonest opioid activities (Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership, 2017). Programs in the States, in turn, monitor drug prescriptions and the work of pain management specialists (CDC, 2019). Thus, all measures aim to reduce the chances of opioid abuse and maintain the nation’s health.
The analysis aims to understand and evaluate policy effectiveness to provide informed advice for new policy decisions and actions. Analyzing the existing medical policy, it is worth paying attention to its successes. Some successes include:
- State programs in Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, New York, Tennessee, and other states, have helped reduce opioid abuse and mortality rates (CDC, 2019);
- SAMHSA provides professional training grants and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for vulnerable populations;
- The CDC conducts and supports studies that bring new knowledge on risk factors and other influential aspects and offer solutions.
However, it is worth noting that the problem continues to exist. In particular, policies may have unintended consequences of using drugs other than opioids due to insufficient attention to the causes of abuse (Lee et al., 2021). Therefore, the fight against opioids should be comprehensive and include measures to improve social conditions and community support.
Let us consider some examples of the manifestation of the opioid crisis, which may be significant for policies to combat it. Examples:
- The opioid crisis began in the late 20th century when pharmaceutical companies convinced society that opioid-based painkillers would not be addictive and were prescribed in large quantities (NIDA, 2021);
- About 21-29% of patients with prescriptions for opioids due to chronic pain misuse them, and 4-6% of abusers later abuse heroin (NIDA, 2021).
- 8-12% of those taking prescribed opioids suffer from opioid use disorders (NIDA, 2021);
Risk factors for developing opioid addiction include improper or prolonged drug use, poverty, unemployment, personal or family history of misuse, risk behavior, contact with high-risk individuals, stress, and other causes (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018).
Understanding the risks, causes, and influencers for the opioid crisis, one can suggest several measures that communities can take. Proposed measures include:
- Collaboration within the community to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, policies to combat the crisis, the possibilities of intervention, and the provision of assistance for overdoses;
- Creating an organization or public coalition that can help people with addiction, particularly through referral to treatment, providing drugs that prevent overdoses, and other measures;
- The creation of support groups in various areas help those who suffer from addiction, help those who suffer from chronic pain and similar issues connected with risk factors.
The evaluation criteria for proposed policy options include:
- Community awareness of the dangers of opioids, laws related to the crisis, and people’s ability to take action and provide assistance;
- Help members of the community that suffer from opioid use disorders;
- Availability of overdose prevention drugs and treatment to those members of the community who need them;
- Activities of support groups aimed at mitigating risk factors and social support.
In summary, it is essential to note that the opioid crisis poses a significant danger to Americans. It began after erroneous information that opioid-based drugs are not addictive spread. However, the use of such drugs carries a high risk of developing addiction and other disorders associated with opioid use. Various organizations and public bodies have taken many actions to combat the crisis. Key measures are drug prescription control aimed at reducing opioid use, finding other pain management methods, and similar efforts. Societies can be critical participants in the struggle by providing information, helping those who suffer from addiction or severe pain, and taking other measures. Thus, everyone present here can take some actions and help save lives.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). State successes. CDC Website. Web.
Collins, F. (2017). The Federal response to the opioid crisis. NIDA archives. Web.
Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership. (2017). Healthcare payer strategies to reduce the harms of opioids. White paper. Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership. Web.
Lee, B., Zhao, W., Yang, K. C., Ahn, Y. Y., & Perry, B. L. (2021). Systematic evaluation of state policy interventions targeting the US opioid epidemic, 2007-2018.JAMA network open, 4(2), e2036687-e2036687. Web.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). How opioid addiction occurs. Mayo Clinic Website. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Opioid overdose crisis.National Institutes of Health. NIDA. Web.