“The AAFP welcomes the additional focus on the opioid crisis that has afflicted millions of Americans. By declaring a public health emergency, the Trump Administration has further drawn the nation’s attention toward this crisis and the need for a comprehensive and coordinated response. While we applaud this designation, we are concerned that the nation still lacks the necessary financial resources to truly combat this epidemic.
“A key mission of the AAFP is to protect the health of the public, and we are deeply aware of the critical and devastating problem of prescription drug misuse and the resulting deaths. Opioid misuse is destroying the fabric of the lives of too many of our patients, their families and their communities. At the same time, we must provide patients with adequate pain management. Chronic pain is a serious health issue with tremendous economic, social and medical costs.
“The dual goals of providing individualized and appropriate pain treatment while preventing opioid misuse underpin AAFP advocacy activities. We have called for policies that support preventive tactics such as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs that inform physicians about opioid prescriptions written by all health providers and alert them to potential prescription drug misuse.
“Family physicians also recognize the need to medically intervene when patients develop addiction disorders. The AAFP also has long been committed to expanding access to Medication Assisted Treatment by increasing the number of patients a physician can treat with buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride. Medication Assisted Treatment has been shown to be highly effective in treating opioid addiction.
“We appreciate the President’s commitment to the nation’s opioid crisis and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration to identify the funding necessary to support a comprehensive and meaningful response that ensures appropriate pain treatment, prevents misuse and responds effectively to addiction disorders.”
For more information read the article covering the AAFP response in AAFP News, visit the AAFP webpage to access additional opioid resources, and visit the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians opioid prescribing guidelines webpage for Ohio-specific information and resources.