Problem Background
The opioid crisis has swept the U.S., causing a range of significant concerns to emerge. Peaking in 2021, the problem of opioid drug misuse led to 100,000 deaths annually, which called for a series of changes (Hodge et al., 2019). However, despite the efforts made to address the current opioid crisis, the problem remains prevalent, implying that a policy combining restricted access to opioids, rehabilitation opportunities, and education options is required.
Importance
The importance of the topic at hand is relatively high, given the impact that active misuse of opioids has sparked in the U.S. community. Specifically, with the current death rate and the devastating effects that opioid abuse causes, the urgency of the issue has increased exponentially (“Managing the opioid crisis in North America and Beyond,” 2022). In addition, the lack of awareness regarding the subject matter and the means of preventing opioid dependency from forming signified the necessity to address the current situation (Hodge et al., 2019).
Finally, the fact that over-the-counter drug prescriptions have become particularly common in the U.S. healthcare environment suggests a loss of control over opioid prescriptions and the resulting rise in the number of patients with a drug issue problem (Hodge et al., 2019). Admittedly, the issue at hand can be viewed as the direct effect of healthcare experts’ failure to control opioid intake in patients, thus leading to the emergence of dependency patterns (“Managing the opioid crisis in North America and beyond,” 2022). However, it is worth noting that not only terminally ill patients or patients with severe pain issues manage to access opioids (Hodge et al., 2019). Therefore, a series of reforms to manage the issue is required, which defines its importance.
Implementation
The policy in question will be implemented on several levels. In the legal context, regulations will be introduced to limit the opportunity for healthcare experts to prescribe opioids without due reason. On an administrative level, the introduction of opioids will be seen as a supplementary strategy in addition to other approaches for pain management. Furthermore, healthcare experts will be expected to prescribe more recently developed medications that do not cause the same immediate adverse effects as those developed initially (Hodge et al., 2019).
Therefore, the introduction of semi-synthetic opioids as medications that are easier to control should be incorporated into the framework. Finally, extensive opportunities for assisting patients with reducing opioid intake, as well as supporting those seeking help and encouraging those with opioid misuse issues, must be encouraged. The changes will imply introducing additional communication channels, such as crisis hotlines.
Evaluation
The efficacy of the policy will be assessed by comparing the opioid misuse rates in the U.S. population before and after its introduction. It is expected that the policy will have a positive effect on the target population. It is expected that, with the introduction of the proposed method of managing the opioid epidemic, the number and percentage of people suffering from substance misuse will be reduced significantly. In addition, it is believed that the policy will encourage a greater number of people with opioid misuse issues to seek help.
Revisions
If the proposed policy does not meet its goals and fails to address the needs of the target population, corresponding revisions must be introduced. For instance, a change in the choice of medications will be suggested as a method of enhancing the program’s effects. In addition, social media will be used more actively to encourage people with opioid misuse issues to seek help, thus removing the stigma from the specified disorder.
References
Hodge, J. G., Gulinson, C. L., Barraza, L., Augur, H. R., Castagne, M., Cheff, A., Cheff,.Hensley, D., Sobek, M., & Weisberg, A. (2019). Innovative law and policy responses to the opioid crisis. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 47(1), 173-176. Web.
Managing the opioid crisis in North America and beyond. (2022). Lancet, 399(10324), 495. Web.