The topic of the opioid crisis is inherently connected with the substance abuse disorder problem overall, which is one of the main directions of Dr. Bersamira’s work. The articles written by Bersamira and colleagues do not only discuss high number of substance misuse cases in the USA but also concentrate on the policies implemented to resolve the issue. The interventions aimed at combating the opioid epidemic within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) differ from state to state, depending on the party prevailing in a given state (Grogan et al., 2020). Indeed, the study found that the states led by Republicans demonstrate weaker legislative support of thorough anti-opioid programs by fragmenting the interventions and imposing inequality among the served citizens (Grogan et al., 2020). On the other hand, the states led by the Democratic Party demonstrate a more complete and multifaceted approach to carrying out policies for eliminating the adversities of opioid medications. Therefore, within the framework of opioid-related policy analysis, these findings allow for identifying disparities among different states in their efforts to solve the issue, which might obstruct the overall nation-wide success of anti-opioid programs.
Importantly, the key to any policy’s successful implementation is assets, both financial and workforce, that allow for the proper execution of the interventions. Andrews et al. (2015) argue that the United States lacks the necessary staffing and technological resources to carry out interventions planned within the ACA policies. This argument applies to the analysis of SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act because it directs the analysis not only at identifying targeted spheres of influence but provokes the review of resource planning behind the policy. Overall, the findings of these two studies help to prioritize the fields for analysis, identify the differences between policy implementation in different states, and consequently identify areas for improvement.
References
Andrews, C., Abraham, A., Grogan, C. M., Pollack, H. A., Bersamira, C., Humphreys, K., & Friedmann, P. (2015). Despite resources from the ACA, most states do little to help addiction treatment programs implement health care reform. Health Affairs, 34(5), 828-835. Web.
Grogan, C. M., Bersamira, C. S., Singer, P. M., Smith, B. T., Pollack, H. A., Andrews, C. M., & Abraham, A. J. (2020). Are policy strategies for addressing the opioid epidemic partisan? A view from the states. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 45(2), 277-309. Web.