Today, President Trump will be expected to sign a bill recently passed by Congress known as SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, that is aimed to expand Medicaid opioid treatment programs and workforce training initiatives and supports FDA research to find new options for non-opioid pain relief. “(Sec. 1003) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish a demonstration project to increase provider treatment capacity for substance-use disorders.”
America has been facing an opioid crisis and it is far from over, although early information shows the number of deaths is starting to plateau, according to Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Person Services, pointing out “encouraging” lead to overdose patterns.
During a speech at a Milken Institute health summit this Tuesday, Azar explained his findings which recommending deaths were coming to a plateau and highlighting efforts he states might be making a shift in the drug crisis in America.
In 2017, Americans dying from opioid overdoses increased to 72,000 from 64,000 the previous year. Nevertheless, according to new provisionary information from the Centers for Illness Control, the numbers began increasing towards completion of 2017, a trend that has continued into the start of 2019.
“It is lastly bending in the ideal direction,” Azar said. Although, Current federal government data reveal that opioids kill over 115 Americans every day. Azar added that the death toll flattening out is “barely a victory,” particularly at such high levels.
Former pharmaceutical lobbyist and drug company executive he stated, the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human being Solutions have turned a blind eye to drug abuse and addiction by promoting evidence-based pain management and supporting treatment and healing services.
“Put simply, America has actually prescribed, and still recommends, a sensational quantity of potentially addictive pain medications,” he stated.
In the efforts to combat the epidemic of opioid-related overdoses has been one of many massive nationwide efforts over the last few years with little to know results ultimately otherwise in a politically polarized country. According to Congress, “(Sec. 3002) The bill establishes and expands programs to support increased detection and monitoring of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, including a new grant program for public health laboratories and a pilot program for point-of-use drug testing.”
Approaching the opioid crisis has been the difficult issue trying to bring together Republicans and Democrats in a politically divided nation. Former President Barack Obama passed a bill providing major funding for treatment and lobbied Congress for millions of dollars to fight the crisis and two more have followed under President Donald Trump. With this bill passed today October 24th, 2018, it will allow individuals facing drug addictions around the country to seek treatment. Although, Final numbers for 2018 won’t be available until the end of next year.
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