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Improving preventive care, increasing patient access to care, and addressing societal stigma will be the linchpins in addressing the opioid crisis that ravages the nation, according to a new report from the Surgeon General.
The report, Spotlight on Opioids, looks at the national public health crisis that led to 115 opioid-related deaths on any given day during 2016 and that is costing the healthcare industry $504 billion annually. As medical experts and policymakers work to combat this issue, they will focus on a small set of key points grounded in efforts to expand treatment access.
“HHS is tackling this crisis through our comprehensive five-point strategy focused on improving access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services; promoting use of overdose reversing drugs; strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance; providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction; and advancing better practices for pain management,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar in the report’s introduction