Opioid Crisis - Free Paper Sample

Introduction

Describe the Population Health concern you selected and the factors that contribute to it. Opioids are a class of drugs that include illegal drugs like heroin, synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and pain-relieving prescriptions such as oxycodone and hydrocodone (NIH, nd). Prescribed opioids are not harmful when taken for a short period according to the doctor’s prescription. However, opioids have side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, confusion, and euphoria, and regular use may lead to dependence, and misuse can result in addiction, overdose, and deaths (NIH, nd). Misuse of opioids claims lives of tens of thousands Americans annually and this figure is elevating daily. The number of overdose deaths rose from 5,000 in 1999 to 21, 088 in 2010, and 46, 802 in 2010 (NIH, nd). The factors that contribute to the opioid crisis include peer pressure, unemployment, history of substance abuse, and easy access to street opioids. Recent presidents have made efforts towards countering opioid crisis.

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Administration

Describe the administrative agenda focus related to this issue for the current and two previous presidents. Trump’s administration is working with state, tribal and local partners to eradicate opioid crisis in our communities. Trump launched his initiative to combat the opioid crisis in 2018 by signing the bipartisan SUPPORT Act. The government has devised numerous programs under this initiative including those managed by the Departments of Health and justice. Trump's SUPPORT attempts to stop opioid supplies, prevent its abuse, and support opioid patients (The White House, 2019).

Obama announced the federal, state, local, and the private sector’s efforts to fight the opioid crisis in 2015 in West Virginia (The White House, 2015). His agenda to address the abuse of prescribed opioid and heroin epidemic focused on two main strategies; to provide training to prescribers through federal departments and agencies, and improve the access to treatment for opioid use and related disorders. The opioid epidemic began in the late 1990s as the use of prescribed opioids increased. Although it was not as severe as it is currently, President Bush announced a national drug control strategy in 2002. Bush’s agenda was to limit the supply of opioids, to reduce their demand, and provide effective and compassionate treatment to opioid addicts (U.S. Department of State, 2002).

Allocations

Trump administration has increased financial allocations to counter the opioid crisis. In 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $1.8 billion annually in funding to facilitate the administration’s efforts to fight opioid crisis (HHS, 2019). These funds included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) $900 million for a three-year cooperative agreement with states and localities to expand research on opioids, and approximately $932 million to all states as response grants to the opioid crisis. In 2016 president Obama acknowledged that addressing the opioid overdose epidemic was a priority in his administration after a sharp rise in related deaths. Obama’s administration launched a two-year initiative to train over 540,000 health care providers on opioid prescription in 2015 (The White House, 2016). In 2017, he passed $1.1 Billion in new funding to address the opioid by expanding access to opioid-related treatment, boosting efforts to mobilize patients to seek, complete treatment, and sustain recovery. In a presidential statement in February 2002, President Bush announced the allocation of nearly $2.3 Billion for drug interdiction, after he stated that more than 280 metric tons of cocaine and 13 metric tons of heroin entered America annually (U.S. Department of State, 2002). The funding included $731 million for Bush’s Andean Counter-Drug initiative that involved collaborative efforts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela to fight smuggling of opioids across borders.

Approach

Trump’s administration adopted an integrative approach to the opioid crisis where it employed multiple organizations and interventions to address its root causes. First, Trump’s administration attempts to stop the illicit supply of opioids; he secured a commitment from the Chinese president, Xi that China would prevent trafficking of Chinese fentanyl, and strengthened security at our borders (The White House, 2019). Second, Trump facilitated public education on opioid dangers to prevent abuse and enhanced recovery by reinforcing opioid patients support through recovery. These efforts are collaboratively enforced by the federal, states, territories, and local governments.

Obama’s administration approached the opioid crisis medically where it mainly focused on access and provision of proper medical care. First, Obama’s administration advanced prescriber training amongst health care providers to minimize the effected manifested by wrong prescriptions and overdoses. Second, it improved access to opioid-related treatment by requiring agencies that provide, contract to provide and recoup health access to review and address barriers to opioid treatment (The White House, 2015). President Bush’s administration approached the opioid crisis externally by preventing smuggling opioids into the United States. It is during Bush’s presidential terms that reports of opioid overdose and death began rising sharply, mainly from illicit opioids smuggled into America (FDA, 2020). Bush collaborated with neighbouring countries particularly the Andean nations to control regional smuggling of opioids and boosted funding for drugs interdiction. He also required the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), CDC, and FDA to formulate stronger warnings on the misuse and abuse of OxyContin.

Narrative

Both Trump’s, Obama’s and Bush’s administrations have played various roles to address the opioid crisis. President Bush used the Andean Counter-Drug Initiative and fortified border security to prevent smuggling of opioids into the country. Obama administration broadened access to opioid treatment and trained prescribers to reduce risks associated with wrong prescriptions. Trump's administration has developed an integrated approach to this crisis by requiring collaboration between different governmental, non-governmental agencies under all levels of government to address the root causes of the opioid epidemic. However, the opioid epidemic is still on the rise and more interventions are required.

Conclusion

The opioid crisis is one of the causes of most deaths in the United States. The crisis can be eradicated by involving administrative agencies such as FDA, DEA, HHS, and DOS in the formulation and implementation of interventions. These agencies together with the assistance of the federal, states, and local governments fuel the agenda of opioid eradication. Publicizing the prevalence and effects of opioid abuse, advocating for more government-backed interventions, and legislations would help to get the opioid crisis into the current and two previous administrations. The sponsors and champions of opioid epidemic include Congressman John Sarbanes, Anita Bradley, and George Bush, who funds opioid programs, founded opioid recovery strategies and promoted collaborated regional fight against opioids.

References

Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Trump Administration Announces $1.8 Billion in Funding to States to Continue Combating Opioid Crisis. HHS.gov.
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2019/09/04/trump-administration-announces-1-8-billion-funding-states-combating-opioid.html

Food and Drug Administration. (nd). Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Opioid Misuse and Abuse. Fda.gov.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/timeline-selected-fda-activities-and-significant-events-addressing-opioid-misuse-and-abuse

Sarbanes, J. (2019). Sarbanes Co-Sponsors Groundbreaking Effort to Combat Opioid Crisis. sarbanes.house.gov. https://sarbanes.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sarbanes-co-sponsors-groundbreaking-effort-combat-opioid-crisis

The White House. (2015). Fact Sheet: Obama Administration Announces Public and Private Sector Efforts to Address Prescription Drug Abuse.