The “Roadmap for Action” Gives Clear Guidance to Healthcare Leaders, Lawmakers, and Regulators on Comprehensive Approaches to Stemming the Crisis
Mary Grealy, President, Healthcare Leadership Council
(Washington, DC, Thursday, June 28, 2018) – Every day, it is estimated that more than 115 Americans die from opioid addiction. This is a public health crisis that requires immediate action from several different healthcare organizations and government bodies. To that end, over 70 organizations convened by the Healthcare Leadership Council and representing physicians, hospitals, insurers, drug and device manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, employers and patients among others have released the first comprehensive recommendations aimed at addressing the escalating opioid crisis in the United States. The “Roadmap for Action” gives clear guidance to healthcare leaders, lawmakers, and regulators on comprehensive approaches to stemming the crisis.
Among its recommendations, the Roadmap calls for improving approaches to pain management; adoption of e-prescribing for all controlled substances by 2020; a system that provides real-time prescribing data on a national basis to aid healthcare decision making; and improved opioid stewardship and disposal.
Mary Grealy, President of the Healthcare Leadership Council, explains the Roadmap.
SOUNDBITE #1:
OPIOID ABUSE IS DEVASTATING FAR TOO MANY LIVES, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. THE ROADMAP FOR ACTION WAS DEVELOPED BY MORE THAN SEVENTY LEADING HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONGRESS, FEDERAL REGULATORS AND HEALTHCARE LEADERS. WE NEED TO ACT AND ADOPT SOLUTIONS – LIKE MANDATORY E-PRESCRIBING AND BETTER ACCESS TO ADDICTION TREATMENT – TO TACKLE THIS SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE.
SOUNDBITE #2:
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN SOLVING THE OPIOID CRISIS. THIS IS WHY WE CONVENED MORE THAN SEVENTY LEADING HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP THE OPIOID SOLUTIONS ROADMAP. IT’S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT PROTECTS ACCESS TO PAIN MANAGEMENT WHILE ADDRESSING MISUSE AND ADDICTION. BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS NEED TO ACT IMMEDIATELY TO HELP SOLVE THIS DEVASTATING CRISIS.
To learn more or to download the full roadmap, visit www.ndhi.org