Surgeon General calls for cultural shift in approach to opioid crisis
pharmafile | September 21, 2018 | News story | Medical Communications | Trump, US, opioid crisis, opioid epidemic, surgeon general
The Surgeon General of the United States has called for a cultural shift in the way in which Americans talk about the opioid crisis after recommending ways in which society can prevent and treat opioid misuse and promote recovery from opioid addiction.
“Addiction is a brain disease that touches families across America – even my own,” said U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams. “We need to work together to put an end to stigma.”
The announcement comes as the number of overdose deaths continues to rise with rates of overdose related deaths increasing by 10% in 2017. In total the lives of more than 70,000 Americans were lost to the health epidemic that has devastated the United States. Furthermore of those 70,000 deaths nearly 48,000 were opioid related, with the sharpest rise relating to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
The General Surgeons report Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids goes on to note that while effective treatments for opioid use disorder exist, only an estimated one in four people with the disorder receive any form of speciality treatment.
Meanwhile the existing healthcare workforce remains understaffed and often lacks adequate training while stigma and inability to afford or access care has prevented people from receiving effective treatments.
“Now is the time to work together and apply what we know to end the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. “Medication-assisted treatment combined with psychosocial therapies and community-based recovery supports is the gold standard for treating opioid addiction.”
Meanwhile HHS Secretary Alex Azar commented: “Addressing the opioid crisis with all the resources possible and the best science we have is a top priority for President Trump and for everyone at HHS. Surgeon General Adams has been a leader in raising awareness about the nature of addiction and the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment, complementing the support HHS provides for access to treatment and recovery services.”
Louis Goss
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