Federal Barriers to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic

Excerpt

In 2017, there were more than 47,000 opioid-associated overdose deaths in the United States, and the Department of Health and Human Services declared that the opioid epidemic was a public health emergency. Over the past few years, Congress has passed considerable legislation to address opioid use disorders (OUDs), including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016, and the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act in 2018. These laws provide funding to study non-narcotic pain management, monitor opioid prescribing, enhance prevention of substance use disorders, and train clinicians in addiction treatment, among other measures. …