PA001 Assignment Fact Sheet 3rd Part

Order ready-to-submit essays — 100% plagiarism-free guaranteed!

Note: Our papers are 100% human-written. 

Student name

Walden University

PA001

Professor’s Name

Submission Date

 

Fact Sheet: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in the United States

• Overview of the Opioid Epidemic

Opioid epidemic is an emergency situation in the health of the American people that impacts millions of American citizens (Phillips et al., 2020). It entails the flamboyant abuse of prescription and non-prescription opioids that lead to the massive increase in the cases of addiction, overdose fatalities and the extended social impacts (Phillips et al., 2020).

• Current Administration: President Joe Biden

The money will be directed towards enhancing drug counselling and rehabilitation centers in the nation and improving access to naloxone, an opioid-reversing drug (House, 2024). Further investments will be made in harm reduction initiatives like the distribution of more naloxone that is administered to reverse opioid overdoses (House, 2024). Finally, an increase in Medicaid coverage of mental care and substance abuse treatment (House, 2024).

• Key Agency

SAMHSA collaborates with HHS in its attempts to curb substance use disorders and mental illnesses by offering treatment and prevention services that it delivers using its resources (House, 2024).

Previous Administration: President Donald Trump

Key Areas of Focus

• Public Health Emergency Declaration: The declaration of an opioid emergency as a public health emergency: In 2017, the opioid emergency was declared a public health emergency.
• Law and Financial Support: By supporting patients and community implementing laws; full funding and resources are being made to combat the opioid crisis.
• Enforcement and Law: Making the prescription of opioids stricter, and more funds to law enforcement with an idea of reducing the illicit supply of opioids.

Leading Companies

CDC pays attention to surveillance, research, and control through collecting data, intervening in the field of civil health as well as providing guidelines on prescription of opioids.

How the Opioid Epidemic Gets on the Agenda

This issue has been attracted by overdose deaths and media attention, as well as personal experience of families who have lost a loved one (Blanco et al., 2020). The urgency of the issue is further promoted by the ongoing efforts of health professionals, nonprofits and research institutions.

Maintaining the Issue on the Agenda

• Regulatory actions: The major legislative efforts and a continuous funding guarantee its attention (Blanco et al., 2020).
• Constant Monitoring and Reporting: Publications such as those by agencies such as CDC and SAMHSA keep the problem on the radar.
• Prolonged Advocacy: Advocacy groups and other healthcare organizations keep pressing policymakers (Blanco et al., 2020).
  

Champion for the Cause: Michael Botticelli

Background: The Presidential former Director of National Drug Control Policy and someone who is long-term substance use disorder recovered (brown, 2018).

Advocacy:  Michael Botticelli, an asset of the addiction treatment and recovery services, is a prominent advocate who employs his personal and professional experience to shape the policy and minimize stigma (brown, 2018).

Key Statistics

• Overdose Deaths: “More than 70,000 Americans died because of drug overdoses in 2019, and in most of the instances, the causes were opioids (brown, 2018).”
• Economic Impact: “Economic cost of the opioid crisis Since 2001, the U.S. economy has incurred more than $1 trillion in lost productivity, healthcare, and criminal justice expenses (brown, 2018).

Conclusion

The opioid epidemic should be tackled through the united efforts of increasing access to treatment, harm reduction methods, and full mental health services, as well as long-lasting advocacy. With the resources and assistance of prominent agencies and influential champions, the fight against this disastrous crisis can be fought even more successfully.