Public Policy

Running head: OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 1

OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 7

Opioid Crisis Public Policy Paper

Anniesha Overton

Strayer Umiversity

Summary of the policy

The opioid crisis has been a significant public health concern in the United States since the late 1990s. The inability to develop strategic legislation and regulation to control the use of opioid has been critical to the development of the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis involves the use of both prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs. According to the Center for Disease control and prevention, the rate of opioid addiction has been significantly increasing over the years. From 1999 to 2016, at least 350,000 individuals have died from related opioid addiction, which includes prescription and illicit opioids.

Unlicensed pharmacies and overdependence on these drugs in pain management have been major concepts, which have created a challenging setting where the abuse of prescription drugs can be controlled. The underlying basis of this problem is the current assumption in the United States that medical practitioners can cure almost everything. Even though it is essential to understand that prescription drugs are effective in pain management, the drugs are required to be offered based on the prescriptions issued (McDonald & Lambert, 2016). It is also noted that they should not be used regularly since they created a very detrimental habit to patient wellbeing because they have addictive properties, which make it dangerous when consumed in large portions.

Confronting opioid addiction requires significant efforts by all stakeholders in healthcare in ensuring that there is a common objective in providing that there is a crucial focus in integrating quality focus in preventing opioid addiction. Considering the fact that a prescribed drug mainly propagates opioid addiction. It is essential to ensure that they are issued through consideration of critical healthcare knowledge regarding the admissibility of opioid drugs (Bihel, 2016). Nurses have a significant role to play regarding the overall development of the opioid addiction crisis. Critical issues that have been identified in opioid drug abuse include improper use, lack of the required knowledge and related interpretation in the use of opioid prescribed drugs and decreased regulation and legislation from the government regarding the existing concern on the increasing addiction levels across the country.

Players

The increase in opioid crisis has had a direct and indirect influence on different stakeholders. Therefore developing a strong focus on essential strategies that can help limit the overall impact of the opioid crisis on the lives of an individual is critical. The national institute on drug abuse reported that in 2015, 33,091 deaths were reported because of opioid overdose (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Approximately 2 million individuals across the United States have used opioid drugs as a prescription drug to manage pain. This means that it is significant in both social and economic waste because of prescription opioids which are legally prescribed by health physicians to help ease the pain. Addressing the increasing opioid addiction is a real issue within the United States healthcare industry. Therefore, the groups that are involved in this case include patients who use opioid drugs, nurses, the health department and food and drug administration.

Player Roles

Understanding the opioid crisis can be adequately analyzed through critical analysis of different stakeholders who are involved directly and indirectly. The role of each player is vital in understanding the extent of the crisis as well as important measures that can be considered in developing a strong focus on preventive strategies.

Patients

Patient form the groups of opioid drug users. Patients use opioid to relieve pain and even though the drugs are provided with guidelines on how to use them excessive use of these drugs develops into an addiction considering that an individual feels very much relieved when using the drugs. The brain develops a specific craving for opioid drugs leading to increased use. This group is the most affected in the use of opioids since the excessive use could be fatal (Li & Kosten, 2016). Both federal and state government are spending more on purchasing the opioid drugs as well as treating who develop complications due to continued use of opioid drugs.

Nurses

Nurses are directly involved in opioid crisis considering that they have shouldered the blame for the increase in prescriptions of opioids despite the presence of other pain relievers. Nurses have an essential role to play in limiting the development of opioid crisis since there is a need to develop a greater focus on fundamental concepts that shape specific emphasis on public health (White, 2012). Limiting the prescription of opioids will be integral in shaping the efforts that have been put in place aimed at preventing the development of the opioid crisis.

Health Department

The health department has sought to integrate alternative measures in limiting the spread of opioid use within healthcare based on the increasing rate of addiction. The health department has a vital role in improving public health. Therefore, the measures that have been put in place by the health department have been integral in promoting campaigns in managing opioid use across the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration

The FDA has a crucial responsibility of protecting the public health through the development of essential policies and standards involving safety, efficacy, and security of human as well as veterinary drugs, biological products an medical devices. The use of opioids has created significant debate especially considering its effects on patients. However even though it is difficult to assess and evaluate a patient who is using prescribed opioid, the agency has a significant role in controlling the use of non prescribed opioids such as heroin use which has been on the rise in recent years (R., 2014). The agency is required to integrate strategic measures to promote a definite focus on essential aspects that can help monitor the use of these drugs which are harmful to human wellbeing.

The Political Influence

Political influence in policy development is crucial in integrating fundamental concepts as well as challenges which need to be addressed in ensuring that the whole process is successful. Therefore, the two players that have a more significant political influence include the health department and food and drug administration agency.

The health department has an essential role in improving the quality of healthcare based on strategic measures, which need to be considered in limiting the prescription of opioid drugs. Therefore, they have a crucial role to play in developing a definite focus on public health by ensuring the well-being of patient health. Maintaining high standards of quality in healthcare is based on ensuring that healthcare professionals are trained adequately to help address the knowledge gap that exists which has a positive influence in dealing with the opioid crisis (Brady et al., 2014).

The food and drug administration has a crucial role in defining a more significant influence on essential concepts regarding public health. The increase in opioid addiction especially nonprescription opioid shows that the FDA has been complacent in delivering its mandate, which is in the interest of all citizens. The FDA together with other stakeholders should implement positive strategies, which are essential in developing strong campaigns to ensure that the public has necessary knowledge on the use of opioid drugs (McCabe et al., 2017).

References

Bihel, F. (2016). Opioid adjuvant strategy: Improving opioid effectiveness. Future Medicinal Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.15.186

Brady, J. E., Wunsch, H., DiMaggio, C., Lang, B. H., Giglio, J., & Li, G. (2014). Prescription drug monitoring and dispensing of prescription opioids. Public Health Reports, 129(2), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491412900207

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Prescription Opioids.

Li, X., & Kosten, T. (2016). Treating Addiction to Prescription Opioids. South Dakota Medicine : The Journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, No, 64–67.

McCabe, S. E., West, B. T., Veliz, P., McCabe, V. V., Stoddard, S. A., & Boyd, C. J. (2017). Trends in Medical and Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids Among US Adolescents: 1976–2015. Pediatrics, 139(4), e20162387. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2387

McDonald, J., & Lambert, D. G. (2016). Opioid mechanisms and opioid drugs. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpaic.2016.06.012

R., D. (2014). USA issues on prescription opioids. Alcohol and Alcoholism.

White, J. M. (2012). Opioids: Heroin and prescription drugs. Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice (Vols. 1 and 2)., 1029–1048. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0338-9