“The numbers around drug addiction in America are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 64,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2016 alone—more than three times the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in 1999. In 2016, an estimated 20.1 million Americans, or about 1 in 13 people aged 12 or older, had a substance use disorder…”
“The President’s proposed Federal Budget requests $3 billion in new funding in 2018 and $10 billion in 2019 for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the opioid epidemic…”
“In practice:
- The $13 billion in new funding proposed for HHS includes resources to support a media campaign aimed at those at risk of opioid abuse and addiction. This new funding would also enhance surveillance efforts and the support given to States to prevent opioid abuse and overdose, including improving state-based Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs).
- The CDC launched the Rx Awareness Campaign—a large, multimedia campaign that features the real-life stories both of people recovering from opioid addiction and of people who have lost loved ones to opioid overdose.
- The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) administers, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. This program strengthens coordination with key sectors and community groups that play a vital role in preventing youth substance abuse.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its “blueprint” for healthcare provider continuing education, expanding information on the principles of pain management, including how to assess, treat, and monitor patients when opioids are appropriate.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is leading the way in accountability by becoming the first hospital system to release opioid prescribing rates publicly.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced…” Read the full press release here.
Source: How We Will Win the War on Opioids – March 1, 2018. White House.gov.
