Reflection on Learning

Comparing the opioid-associated overdose death rates of Florida to the national opioid-associated overdose death rates

I selected Florida. In 2016, the opioid-associated overdose death incidences were reported to be 14.40 per 100,000 people. On the other hand, the nationwide average rate of the 2016 semisynthetic opioid overdose death in the United States was 5.37 per 100,000 with a median of 4.41 death per 100,000 (Knopf, 2017).

One primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to help in the reduction of the misuse of opioids in Florida

The primary prevention approaches are focused on the promotion of the safe storage and the disposal of prescription drugs. It is aimed at preventing the development of disease and addiction. One of the primary interventions to help in the reduction of the misuse of the opioid in Florida is the dissemination and implementation of the prevention programs. These can be delivered through homes and schools and the targeted diverse populations. The prevention and promotion programs help in the generation of greater, maintainable reduction in several healthcare issue outcomes like substance use, children, and younger individuals (Mauri et al., 2020). The universal prevention intervention implemented in early adolescence help in the reduction of unprescribed use of the opioid in the late adolescence and early adulthood.

Under secondary prevention, there are prescription drug monitoring programs and disease control. This program helps in the identification of actions of using unprescribed opioids and diversion as an approach to deal with the addiction progression. The intervention is a state-level and electronic database that is used for monitoring the controlled substances that are being prescribed or dispensed to the clients.

The tertiary level involves the intervention of abstinence-based and medication-assisted treatment. The level is focused on the reduction of the potential complications of the illness by offering the treatment and support. For the individuals addicted to these drugs, the facilitation of the process of accessing treatment and the utilization of the evidence-based treatment is promoted. Some of the available treatment options are the medication-assisted and psychosocial strategies like residential treatment and the 12-step model (Mauri et al., 2020). Medication-assisted treatment involves the use of pharmacotherapy like naltrexone which is combined with psychosocial approaches and support to help in the treatment of addiction.

The evidence-based strategy to help in addressing provider opioid prescription rates

One of the evidence-based interventions to help in dealing with the incidences of provider opioid prescription is to have prescription drug monitoring programs and diversion control. This is a state-level and electronic database that can be used to control the substance prescribed or dispensed to the patients. It is utilized to help in the determination of the possible abuse or divert the controlled drugs, obtaining the history data of the patient in relation to the use of the controlled substance, and detect the issues in prescribing and dispensing practices (Mathis et al., 2018).

The utilization of this evidence-based solution leads to desirable outcomes for example reducing the opioid diversion, reducing the use and the misuse, and overdose death ad improved prescribing prescription and dispensation practices. This evidence-based strategy is helping in improving the opioid prescription, informing the clinical practices, and offering protection of the patients from risks (Mathis et al., 2018).

The stakeholders charged with addressing the opioid crisis in the community

One of the stakeholders in Florida that helps in addressing the crisis caused by the opioid in the community is Florida's Opioid State Targeted Response Project. This stakeholder is helping in addressing the issue of the opioid crisis through offering evidence-based approaches required for the prevention, medication-assisted treatment, and ensuring that there is availability of the recovery support services. The four goals while addressing these issues is to: ensure that there is a reduction in opioid-related deaths, prevention of opioid misuse among the younger individuals, ensuring that there is an increase in the number of people who are trained to offer medication-assisted treatment, and help with the recovery support services, and to make sure that there is an increase in the process of accessing medication-assisted treatment amongst individuals with opioid use disorders (Knopf, 2017).

The evidence-based is targeting the high need rural counties to provide them with the school-based life skills training that help in the successful prevention of prescription opioid misuse. The intervention also involves the use of funds to help in the purchase and distribution of the naxolone which is an opioid overdose antidote that has been proven to be effective in the reduction of opioid overdose deaths (Knopf, 2017).

The professional experience associated with the topic

The opioid crisis is not a new term or information based on personal experience. This is not the first time that information about opioid addiction, use, and misuse among the patients is heard. I have been a victim concerning the individuals who have used the opioid. One of the incidents or a time that drug was used was when I was working in the hospice. With the inclusion of some of the healthcare providers in the unit, we used a lot of opioids without having clear information on the danger we were exposing ourselves to (Vandoros, 2020). However, the lesson learned based on the impacts of the addiction will be important in changing the perception concerning these drugs and ensuring that patients are using them mainly for medical purposes.

References

Knopf, A. (2017). How Florida is using its Opioid STR grant: Medications and counseling. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 29(43), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/adaw.31763 Mathis, S. M., Hagemeier, N., Hagaman, A., Dreyzehner, J., & Pack, R. P. (2018). A Dissemination and Implementation Science Approach to the Epidemic of Opioid Use Disorder in the United States. Curr HIV/AIDs Rep, 15(5), 359-370. doi:10.1007/s11904-018-0409-9 Mauri, A., Townsend, T., & Haffajee, R. L. (2020). The association of state opioid misuse prevention policies with patient‐and provider‐related outcomes: a scoping review. The Milbank Quarterly, 98(1), 57-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12436 Vandoros, S. (2020). The Association between Florida’s Opioid Crackdown and Opioid-Related Mortality: The Role of Economic Factors and Mortality Misclassification. American journal of epidemiology.