APA Lends Expertise to AMA Task Force To Reduce Opioid Abuse

APA has joined 26 other medical and health care organizations as partners on the AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse.

The task force will be charged with identifying best practices for addressing the alarming increase in opioid addiction and abuse and seeking to implement those practices across the country. The task force comprises 27 physician organizations, including 17 specialty and seven state medical societies, and the American Dental Association.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heroin use more than doubled among young adults aged 18 to 25 in the past decade. More than nine in 10 people who used heroin also used at least one other drug, and 45 percent of people who used heroin were also addicted to prescription opioid painkillers; the sharp increase in heroin use and overdoses has been attributed to the fact that many new heroin users first became addicted to opioid prescription painkillers.

“As experts in the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders, psychiatrists play an important role in curbing this epidemic and helping our medical colleagues participate in the prescribing part of the treatment plan,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “APA is honored to join our colleagues in the house of medicine in addressing this problem. We owe it to our patients to ensure they receive the proper and appropriate care.”

Levin has specialized in substance use treatment, notably in previous posts at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and as the head of the Washington, D.C., Department of Health and Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration.

Psychiatrist Patrice Harris, M.D., M.A., who is chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees, said in a statement that the task force will be committed to working on a “multi-pronged, comprehensive public health approach” to end opioid abuse.

“We have joined together as part of this special task force because we collectively believe that it is our responsibility to work together to provide a clear road map that will help bring an end to this public health epidemic,” Harris said.

She explained that the task force’s initial focus will be on efforts to urge physicians to register for and use state-based prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) as part of the decision-making process when considering treatment options. When PDMPs are fully funded, contain relevant clinical information, and are available at the point of care, they have been shown to be an effective tool to help physicians identify patients who may be misusing opioids and to implement treatment strategies including referral for those in need of further care.

“PDMPs vary greatly in efficacy and functionality from state to state,” said Harris. “Alone, they will not end this crisis, but they can provide helpful clinical information, and because they are available in nearly every state, PDMPs can be effective in turning the tide to end opioid abuse.”

The new initiative seeks to significantly enhance physicians’ education on safe, effective, and evidence-based prescribing. This includes a new resource webpage that houses vital information on PDMPs and their effectiveness for physician practices. The site also includes a robust national marketing, social media, and communications campaign to significantly raise awareness of the steps that physicians can take to combat this epidemic and ensure they are aware of all options available to them for appropriate prescribing.

“America’s patients who live with acute and chronic pain deserve compassionate, high-quality, and personalized care, and we will do everything we can to create a health care response that ensures they live longer, fuller, and productive lives,” Harris said. ■