Introduction
A high-priority healthcare problem addressed in this policy brief is the widespread opioid epidemic. This issue is acute in Minnesota and across the country, making thousands of Americans suffer from this increasing tendency. Opioid abuse is caused by a mass opioid medication prescription, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, which leads to the growing misuse of non-prescribed and prescribed opioids. Addressing the healthcare concern is essential to improve patient outcomes, reduce the burden on the country’s economy, and lower the rates of overdose deaths both in Minnesota and nationwide.
The Urgency of the Issue: Devastating Statistics
Statistics on the matter are devastating and should prove the urgency of the healthcare issue. Thus, as indicated by the Minnesota Department of Health (2023a), there was a 43% increase in Minnesotans’ opioid-involved overdose deaths in the year following 2020, with 978 persons dying in 2021. To compare, the number of opioid abuse deaths in 2015 was 422, so severe growth is evident (Minnesota Hospital Association, n.d.).
It is reported that Indian American and African American Minnesotans are ten and three times as likely to be affected by the opioid epidemic than whites (MDH, 2023a). Concerning the youth, in 2022, 5.2%, 4.4%, and 3.1% of all eighth, ninth, and tenth graders in the state, respectively, reported inappropriate use of opioids, and a decrease was noticed only in the latter group (MDH, 2023a). All these cases of abuse and misuse lead not only to deaths but also to adverse childhood experiences, increased hospitalization rates, and community disconnectedness.
Increasing Access to Naloxone
Several options can be reviewed to address the identified healthcare issue. Firstly, it is possible to increase Minnesotans’ access to over-the-counter Naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdose and save lives. Naloxone distribution sites can also be created in the state. The costs for these two solutions will include the delivery of training and educational resources, the delivery of naloxone kits, and personnel costs (National Training and Technical Assistance Center, n.d.). The benefits are expected to include reduced opioid-involved overdose mortality rates and ED admissions. Still, some believe that the availability of Naloxone can result in yet another epidemic (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021).
The second option is to implement better monitoring of opioid prescription (MHA, n.d.). This solution will also require training and personnel costs. Still, it will lower the rates of abuse and misuse because fewer opioids or the lowest effective doses will be available to Minnesotans. One potential consequence is that non-prescribed opioids will become more accessible and in demand, which will deteriorate the issue.
School Programs and Community Support
The final recommendation is to increase the availability of OTC Naloxone to people with addiction and those who can potentially save the lives of such persons. Similar programs should be implemented in school settings to reduce opioid use trends among the youth (MDH, 2023b). Although some activists and policymakers are against such an approach, it is the most promising measure.
Taking an adverse practice under control is more effective than eliminating it. Introducing these measures will lead to fewer ED admissions and lower healthcare costs, reduced psychological trauma cases among Minnesotans, and better patient and child outcomes. On the contrary, inaction will result in poorer trends and a growing number of opioid-involved overdose deaths.
Conclusion
To conclude, considering the severity of the healthcare concern, it should be addressed shortly. There is no perfect response to the described problem, as the state authorities can’t control the circulation of unprescribed opioids. However, suppose persons addicted to opioids know that the state supports them and can receive local help by accessing Naloxone distribution sites or getting educated on the matter. In that case, the number of deaths and the rates of addiction will drop.
References
Minnesota Department of Health [MDH]. (2023a). Drug overdose dashboard. Web.
Minnesota Department of Health [MDH]. (2023b). Naloxone administration in school settings. Web.
Minnesota Hospital Association [MHA]. (n.d.). Opioids. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Naloxone for opioid overdose: Life-saving science. NIH. Web.
National Training and Technical Assistance Center. (n.d.). What are the typical costs of a law enforcement overdose response program? BJA. Web.