Feds Unveil New Weapon in War on US Opioid Overdose Epidemic

Deborah Brauser

Aug 29, 2013

The US federal government has released a new "toolkit" designed to stop the rising number of deaths caused by the epidemic of opioid overdose plaguing the United States.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced the educational Opioid Overdose Toolkit that was developed in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

It includes specific sections aimed at 5 different audiences: healthcare professionals, first responders, communities, patients, and survivors and families of survivors of previous overdose.

It has been released to coincide with the upcoming International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31.

In 2010, 38,300 people in the United States died of drug overdose; 22,000 of these deaths were due to overdose from prescription medication, and 16,600 were from opioid pain relievers, ONDCP director Gil Kerlikowske told reporters during a press briefing.

"Recently the issue of overdose has received heightened attention due in part to the passing of [actor] Cory Monteith, who was lost to drug use. But we should never forget that he's just 1 of thousands that we lose each year to drug overdose," he said.

"This national drug challenge is a public health issue and not just a criminal justice issue. We're not going to arrest our way out of our drug problem. That's why our 2013 strategy is built on the latest scientific research demonstrating that addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that can be successfully prevented and treated."
The strategy calls for expanded prevention programs, empowering healthcare workers, and increasing treatment access, including the injectable medication naloxone.

Staggering Stats

Statistics about the opioid epidemic in the United States highlighted at the briefing included the following:

• Drug overdose is the second leading cause of death by injury in the United States today;
• Drug overdose deaths now outnumber those caused by motor vehicle crashes and homicides; and
• The CDC reports that approximately 100 Americans died of overdose every day in 2010.

"These numbers are staggering, especially because we know that each and every overdose death is preventable," said Kerlikowske.
In April, the Obama administration released the 2013 National Drug Control Strategy, which aims to expand community-based drug use prevention programs, empower healthcare workers to intervene at the first signs of a substance use disorder, and increase access to treatments.
Kerlikowske noted that President Obama has announced a goal of reducing drug-induced death by 15% in 2015 and has requested an increase in substance use treatment funding of $1.4 billion for fiscal year 2014.

As reported by Medscape Medical News, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will include a treatment benefit for substance abuse, just as it includes treatment benefits for other chronic diseases.

In addition, "the Obama Administration supports the use of naloxone and is taking steps to educate the public, law enforcement officials, healthcare providers, and others about the role this drug can play in saving lives," said the ONDCP in its release.
"Further, ONDCP and its Federal partners are carefully monitoring the public health and safety impact of relevant policy changes, such as laws granting immunity from prosecution for people assisting during an overdose, either with a reversal or by obtaining aid."

Keeping It Simple
SAMHSA's principal deputy administrator Kana Enomoto said the toolkit's release is part of a coordinated effort to address the problem of opioid overdose and to provide information and "simple strategies" based on the latest research.
Enomoto added that the toolkit provides prescribers, physicians, and other healthcare professionals with reliable information about the risks of opioid overdose, as well as clinically sound strategies for prescribing opioids and educating and monitoring patients to minimize the risk for overdose and addiction.
The toolkit also describes 5 broad strategies for preventing overdose:

• Encourage providers, people at high risk, and family members to learn how to prevent this tragic occurrence;
• Ensure access to treatment for individuals who are addicted to or misusing any drugs;
• Ensure ready access to naloxone by first responders;
• Encourage the public to call 911; and
• Encourage prescribers to use state prescription monitoring programs.

Michael Botticelli, deputy director of ONDCP, noted that although his office released a comprehensive Action Plan years ago to address the ongoing prescription drug abuse epidemic, "and our efforts are paying off," more needs to be done, especially with respect to an increase in heroin use.

Kerlikowske noted that more than 3000 annual drug overdose deaths in the United States are due to heroin use.

"The latest statistics we are sharing today show that we cannot ignore this challenge and that we need help in spreading awareness to save lives," he said.

The toolkit is available at SAMHSA's Web site.