n.d.a). The ONDCP Director is the principal advisor to the president on drug control issues. The ONDCP coordinates the drug control activities and related funding of 16 federal departments and agencies. The ONDCP also produces the National Drug Control Strategy, which outlines Administration efforts for the nation to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking; drug-related crime and violence; and drug- related health consequences (New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, n.d.). Congressional efforts In 2018, Congress passed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (the SUPPORT Act). This was a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the nation’s opioid overdose epidemic. The Act included provisions to teach
In October of 2017, the White House declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. In 2018, the Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse was unveiled. According to the White House, the initiative was meant to confront “the driving forces behind the opioid crisis.” Actions were intended to reduce “demand and over- prescription” and to educate Americans about the dangers of opioid misuse, cut down on the availability of illicit drugs “by cracking down on the international and domestic drug supply chains that devastate American communities,” and help people “struggling with addiction through evidence-based treatment and recovery support services” (ONDCP, 2018). addiction medicine and standardize the delivery of addiction medicine, while expanding access to high-quality, evidence- based care. Importantly, the Act also addressed coverage of payment for such care (American Society of Addiction Medicine [ASAM], 2018).
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The White House and Congress are not alone in their crusade against prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse is the focus of several nationwide organizations that have joined forces to leverage each other’s strengths and maximize their collective National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse In response to their son Joey’s death on December 18, 2009, April and Joseph Rovero committed themselves to reducing the number of deaths attributed to prescription drug misuse and abuse by raising public awareness. Joey Rovero was a student at Arizona State University who died from an overdose combination of prescription drugs and alcohol; he had planned to come home for winter break the day after his death. April Rovero founded the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA) in March 2010 and spreads its message concerning National Institute on Drug Abuse A government entity dedicated to reducing prescription drug abuse is the National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA is “the lead federal agency supporting scientific research on drug use and its consequences.” The Institute’s 2016-2020 mission is to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health through “strategically supporting and conducting basic and clinical research on drug use (including nicotine), its consequences, and the underlying neurobiological, behavioral, and social mechanisms involved,” as well as “ensuring the effective translation, implementation, and dissemination of scientific research findings to improve the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and enhance public awareness of addiction as a brain disorder” (NIDA, n.d.g). Helping to end addiction long-term The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative was launched in 2018, to be “an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis.” The Initiative was to: Build on extensive, well-established NIH research, including basic science of the complex neurological pathways involved in pain and addiction, implementation science to develop and test treatment models, and research to integrate behavioral Economic impact In response to the level of national attention on prescription drug abuse, the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit (now the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit) held its first annual conference in April of 2012, as a national collaboration of professionals from local, state, and federal agencies; business; and academia, along with clinicians and advocates affected by prescription drug abuse (National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, n.d.).
efforts. Organizations that exemplify the dedication and efforts being made to curb prescription drug abuse include NCAPDA, the NIH’s NIDA, and the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long- term) Initiative (NIDA 2019b). the dangers of prescription drug abuse through a nationwide campaign that includes ongoing collaborations with community organizations, healthcare representatives, law enforcement, schools, and other agencies. Through its slogan One Pill Can Kill! , NCAPDA is committed to sharing best practices, information, statistics, stories, and resources targeted to helping those afflicted and the loved ones searching for answers and guidance related to prescription drug abuse and learning about treatment and recovery options (NCAPDA, n.d.). The NIDA comprehensive website (https://www.drugabuse. gov) offers wide-ranging educational materials; statistics; information on more than 16 of the most commonly abused drugs; fact sheets; podcasts; e-newsletters; and data regarding related topics, including addiction, comorbidities, criminal justice, drugged driving, drug testing, global health, medical consequences, and research on drug prevention and treatment. The Institute’s organizational structure and funding reflect its dedication to this cause, and its approach suggests an understanding of its target audience. The Institute recognizes that prescription drug addiction is a topic of interest not only to parents, teachers, politicians, military leaders, and healthcare providers, but also to the broader general public (NIDA, n.d.a). interventions with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). Successes from this research include the development of the nasal form of naloxone, the most commonly used nasal spray for reversing opioid overdose, the development of buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD, and evidence for the use of nondrug and mind/body techniques such as yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, and mindfulness meditation to help patients control and manage pain (NIH, 2019). One focus of this event and other related discussions across the country has been the national economic impact of the prescription drug abuse crisis, which includes costs associated with health care, crime, and lost productivity. In February of 2012, the website CNNMoney reported in an article titled “How Prescription Drug Abuse Costs You Money” that in 2006 as a nation we had spent $8.2 billion on the criminal justice bill and incurred $42 billion in lost productivity related to nonmedical use of prescription opioids (O’Toole, 2012). In addition, each patient
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