Trump Declares Opioid Epidemic a National Emergency

President Donald Trump last month declared the nation’s opioid overdose epidemic a national emergency and “has instructed his administration to use all appropriate emergency and other authorities to respond to the crisis caused by the opioid epidemic.”

The announcement, made in a White House press release, followed a recommendation from the interim report of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, calling for the declaration of a national emergency.

The president’s announcement did not include specifics about what kind of strategies might be employed with the availability of funds made possible by the declaration. But at a press briefing two days before the announcement, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price filled in some detail about his own vision for what the federal government might do. (At the time of the press briefing, it was not certain that Trump would declare a national emergency.)

“[W]e briefed the president on our strategy through the Health and Human Services Department, a strategy that includes making certain that we have the resources and the information necessary for prevention and treatment and recovery; providing best practices for states; making certain that we have overdose-reversing medication—naloxone and Narcan,” whenever and wherever such medication is needed, Price said.

Price also highlighted the need for gathering data on the epidemic and conducting research on new ways to treat pain and addiction. “One of the exciting things that [the National Institutes of Health] is working on is a vaccine for addiction, which is an incredibly exciting prospect,” Price said.

He emphasized education about use of opioids to treat pain. “As a formerly practicing physician—orthopedic surgeon—I know that physicians and other providers have oftentimes sensed that there is an incentive to provide narcotic medication,” Price said. “And we need to do all that we can to make certain that, yes, people are provided appropriate narcotic medication when necessary, but no more than necessary.

“We’ve met previously with the departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security; the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and others to make certain that we’re working together on a comprehensive strategy.”

APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., vowed to support the administration’s efforts.

“The American Psychiatric Association will work with the administration and the states to help provide education, training, and support to address the opioid crisis,” Levin said in a statement. “Each year APA trains thousands of clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of those with opioid use disorders. Additionally, we are an active partner in the Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication-Assisted Treatment coalition funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This national initiative provides training and mentoring in response to the prescription opioid misuse epidemic and increases the availability of pharmacotherapies to address opioid use disorder. We have trained thousands of physicians on the most effective medication-assisted treatments to serve patients in a variety of settings, including primary care, psychiatric care, substance use disorder treatment, and pain management settings.” ■