Specific actions policymakers can take to end the nation’s drug overdose epidemic
A new AMA issue brief (PDF) details seven specific ways medical societies can help end the nation’s overdose epidemic:
Remove restrictions on buprenorphine and protect individuals with a substance use disorder.
Take action to enforce mental health and substance use disorder parity.
Take steps to address increasing harms from cannabis.
Support public health legislation to regulate kratom and tianeptine.
Increase access to naloxone and other evidence-based prevention efforts.
Help patients with pain.
Ensure opioid litigation settlement dollars go to evidence-based efforts.
Each recommendation is backed with detailed policy recommendations. For example, given that one of the ongoing barriers to buprenorphine is a misguided reliance on dosage thresholds, the issue brief provides resources and citations for state legislative examples. The issue brief also identifies best legislative and regulatory practices as well as identifying where AMA has model legislation or other resources to support state advocacy.
