Ending the Opioid Crisis Amidst Soaring Overdose Deaths
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The United States of America is still in the throes of one of the most devastating drug crises the nation has ever seen — the opioid epidemic. The push for opioid use came in the mid-1990s when Big Pharma corporations decided to expand the market for these dangerous prescription pills to patients with chronic pain across the board. This action sowed the seeds for our current tragedy, with few efforts at truly ending the opioid crisis.
By purposefully neglecting to inform doctors and healthcare providers of the associated risk of addiction, these pharmaceutical companies were able to make billions off the drug — lining their pockets through reckless corporate greed. As a result, doctors began to prescribe them at greater rates, which subsequently led to widespread misuse and abuse by countless individuals.
Although this public health crisis started as a result of the over prescription of pain pills, analysts have noted that the epidemic has shifted over the years. In fact, its intensification can be attributed to the wide availability of cheap heroin and other synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Although the United States government has made efforts to limit prescriptions, cut off the foreign and domestic supplies of opioids, and enforce laws against illegal drug distribution, it hasn’t done enough in terms of ending the opioid crisis.
Since its start, over 500,000 people have died from opioid overdoses, with over 50,000 deaths in 2019 alone, and this number is only rising as the years continue on. Now, with the coronavirus ravaging the United States and countries around the world, overdose rates are seeing an even greater spike. Millions of people are suffering from opioid addiction but can’t get the help they need due to the quarantine and social distancing restrictions in place.
The opioid epidemic in the United States has persisted for far too long, threatening the lives of many and diminishing the economic integrity of our nation. Throughout the years, former Presidents have made promises and pledges to take action against this deadly crisis, yet none have seemed to make any progress or keep their word about ending the opioid crisis.
Now, with a new President in office, we as a nation can only hope that decisive action is taken to finally put an end to this decades-long epidemic. Together, President Biden and Vice President Harris pledge to take assertive action to address ending the opioid crisis in the United States.
President Biden Attends the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
On April 5, 2021, President Biden attended the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, where he addressed attendees about his and his administration’s commitment to facing the challenges of the pandemic head-on. “The crisis is national,” he said. “But the struggle is personal — deeply personal.”
The Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit is one of the largest national collaborations of professionals that have been impacted by prescription drug and heroin abuse. This includes a long list of local, state, and federal agencies, along with businesses, academia, treatment providers, and allied communities. The annual Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit is for decision-makers and professionals who can work together to address this pressing public health crisis.
The Information Summit originated in 2012, under the leadership of Operation UNITE and United States Rep. Harold Rogers. Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment, and Education, Inc.) is a collaborative model that works tirelessly to prevent drug abuse while facilitating recovery through strategic partnerships, leadership, education, and treatment coordination.
Now, the Rx Summit is produced by HMP Global as part of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network and is the largest annual event for drug addiction prevention and treatment. Along with President Biden, other notable speakers at the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit include many of our former Presidents like President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in 2019, President Bill Clinton in 2018, and President Barack Obama in 2016.
Joe Biden’s Plans for an End to the Opioid Crisis
At the 2021 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, President Biden rightfully acknowledged how the addiction crisis in the U.S. “touches families in every community in red states and blue states, across all races and creeds.” To battle the accelerating epidemic, Biden explained that his administration is committed to:
- Expanding access to treatment resources
- Supporting recovery and prevention efforts that have proven success
- Reducing the supply of illicit substances from entering the country
The expansion of these topics was slated for discussion by members of his administration later in the Summit. During his presentation, the 46th President of the United States also noted the latest projections from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, an estimated 88,000 individuals died from a drug overdose in the United States between August 2019 and August 2020. This is a 27% increase year-over-year and an expansion of its predictions from the previous December.
President Biden believes this increase in overdoses is due to the social isolation and financial insecurity that was so devastatingly caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to combat opioid addiction and illicit drug overdoses, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This legislation will provide $4 billion to support mental health services and substance abuse disorder treatment resources. “We need to meet this crisis with urgent action,” stated Biden, also adding that the American Rescue Plan is “just the start.” Additionally, the American Rescue Plan will provide $1.5 billion for both drug prevention and treatment initiatives, with $400 million set aside specifically for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
To close his speech at the annual Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, President Joseph Biden Jr. left attendees and the people of the nation with this important message:
“The addiction crisis has already taken so much, and I grieve with all those who have lost someone. We also celebrate those who are recovering. We hold them in our hearts and commit ourselves to helping more families know the joy and relief of recovery. To those still struggling, I want you to know that I see you and that we’re going to beat this thing together. To those who have done so much to tackle this crisis and break the stigma of addiction, thank you, thank you, thank you. We are going to stand with you and get you the support and resources you need to overcome this crisis once and for all.”
The Biden Administration’s Plan for Ending the Opioid Crisis
After taking his seat as the 46th President of the United States, President Joe Biden’s plan for the opioid crisis was quickly rolled out by himself and the members of his administration. In his plan, President Biden notes that the challenges with substance abuse disorders are not limited to just opioid misuse. In fact, the total number of overdose-related deaths — from all drug types — in the United States has reached a jaw-dropping 841,000 since 1999, and the numbers are still rising.
Of course, we cannot overlook the role of opioids in all of this, as they comprise a majority of the percentage of deaths related to overdoses. As mentioned earlier, 2019 saw 50,000 opioid-related deaths; however, there were approximately 71,000 drug overdose deaths in total that year — opioids accounted for 70% of them.
To suppress these growing numbers, President Biden states that he will ensure more people have access to high-quality health care services. This includes reputable substance abuse disorder treatment and mental health services. Additionally, President Biden explains that he and his team will pursue a “comprehensive, public health approach” to deal specifically with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. This comprehensive plan will include the following:
- Holding Big Pharma corporations and their team of executives accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.
- Create effective treatment, prevention, and recovery resources easily available to all who need them. This will be done through a $125 billion federal investment — i.e., the American Rescue Plan.
- Invest in evidence-based prevention programs for schools and communities in an attempt to reduce the development of future substance use disorders.
- Improving access to effective pain management in hopes of stopping the overprescribing of opioids to treat pain.
- Make reforms to the criminal justice system so that individuals won’t get incarcerated for drug use alone.
- Cease the transport of illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl into the United States from countries like Mexico and China.
Most importantly of all, Biden pledges to ban drug manufacturers from offering kickbacks and incentives to physicians, sales reps, and other prescribers for selling their drug in mass quantities. His administration states:
Pharmaceutical companies work hard to persuade doctors and other medical personnel to prescribe their products. These companies essentially pay providers to prescribe opioids and other drugs by, for example, paying providers to speak at or attend conferences, or consult for their companies. By banning these practices, Biden will ensure that patients’ lives do not take a backseat to doctors’ bottom lines.
Additionally, Biden plans to end the tax break that countless pharmaceutical companies receive for advertisement spending. This is an extra measure the President promises to take in his overall plan to hold Big Pharma companies accountable for their detrimental role in this public health crisis. Since 1997, sales from prescription drug advertisements increased more than four-fold from the initial $1.3 billion.
As revenue from these advertisements continued on an upward trend, the American Medical Association (AMA) began to show “concerns among physicians about the negative impact of commercially driven promotions, and the role that marketing costs play in fueling escalating drug prices.” To date, many pharmaceutical companies deduct the money they spend on advertisements from their taxes, which leaves the standard American taxpayer will the bill. President Biden is making it his mission to end this senseless tax deduction for all prescription drug ads.
While placing regulations on Big Pharma companies, Biden also introduced a new tactic he will take in fighting this epidemic. He pledges to make Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) universally accessible to all by 2025 at the latest. His administration states:
MAT (also referred to as MOUD or Medications for Opioid Use Disorder) is regarded as the gold standard of care for individuals with opioid use disorder. Yet, less than 50% of substance use disorder facilities around the country offer even one of the FDA-approved medications. The 21st Century Cures Act, legislation Biden championed as Vice President, provided resources to states designed to expand access to MAT. Biden will build on this in order to ensure universal access to MAT for all who need it.
These efforts will include:
- Providing $20 billion in grants in order to expand the ability to administer MAT in all states and cities across the United States. This will include developing new facilities and creating training programs that are designed to increase the number of professionals qualified to administer MAT.
- Making sure insurance companies will cover expenses related to MAT. In the past, insurance companies have created many barriers for those who need coverage for MAT services. For example, some insurers have authorized “fail first” protocols that require prescribers to verify that other therapies and methods were attempted before using MAT. Biden’s team plans to stop this altogether to ensure patients get the coverage — and the help — they need for their addiction struggles.
- Remove and banish any restrictions placed on medications prescribed to treat substance use disorders. There are a few addiction treatment facilities that carefully use medications like methadone and prescriptions containing buprenorphine to treat substance use disorders. Even though this method of treatment was approved by the FDA back in 2002, very few facilities and medical professionals are actually certified to prescribe them due to legal restrictions. Biden and his administration plan to thoroughly review methadone treatment regulations and lift any unnecessary restrictions on the prescription of these medications.
While it seems like President Biden and his team have a comprehensive plan of action to battle the unrelenting opioid crisis, only time will tell if he will follow through with his pledges and promises. Click here to learn more about President Biden’s initiative to end the opioid crisis in the United States. And if you or a loved one is struggling with a personal fallout from the epidemic, please reach out and find out more about the possibility for recovery through addiction treatment.
