Opioid Workforce Act of 2019

Executive Summary

            Usage and overdose of opium have increased in the recent past with the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that the death toll stood at staggering 47,600 in 2017 alone. This translates to around 130 deaths daily (U.S. Department of Health And Human Services, 2019). These are shocking results bearing in mind that many people have been able to have access and buy opium in high dosages. Opioids are extracted from the opium poppy plant, working on the brain to initiate a variety of effects. They can be used as a prescription medicine to relieve pain and can also be used as street drugs like heroin. The department of health and DEA need to come up with a solution to contain the use of opioids in the wrong way.

Background

            Opioids can be prescribed to be used as a pain reliever. They act on the brain and are cheap, making the drug be used as a street drug for the wrong purpose. The opioid epidemic is the use of opioids in the wrong way, which is a crisis that has seen over 70,000 people misusing the drug yearly (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). They are strong, addictive, and very affordable drugs often prescribed by the doctor. According to the National Institute of Drugs Abuse (2020), around 8 to 12 percent of people who are mandated to take medicine for medication purposes end up developing opioid use disorder. Out of these, approximately 4 to 6 percent who misuse the drug end up transitioning to heroin, a more addictive and robust street drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020).

            The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2019), has initiated a plan that is aimed at alleviating the illegal use of opioids drugs in the country. The organization has put their focus on treatment, where they have put across measures to expand care, prevention through the use of treatment measures that rely less on the prescription of opioids and use of data to both prevent and treat and also identify abuse and fraud (Center For Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2019).

Options

            The opioid crisis is a national disaster and should be worked on with immediate effect. The bill Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 should be effected as it would not only work on alleviating the effects of opioid usage but also as a marker to indicate the states that have been adversely affected by the crisis. This will be effective to not only the federal and the state governments, but also to the individuals who have been addicted to taking the drug. The bill will also enable the country to investigate and come up with a better medication strategy that does not rely much on the prescription of opioid medications.

            However, the only con is that the bill can take years to be passed as many people benefit illegally through selling opioid drugs as street drugs. As such, many people might consider the law as merely sabotaging their illegal business and fight to kill the bill.

Recommendation

            I urge you to vote in favor of this bill because it will be an indicator of a country that has a future. Many youths who cannot afford to buy drugs like heroine are opting to go for inexpensive medications like opioids, which has, in turn, made their lives miserable. Passing in the bill will ensure that medical personnel and clinicians are advised against finding an alternative to opioids prescriptions and only sell the drug as a last resort.

References

Center For Medicare and Medicaid Serices. (2019, November). CMS Roadmap: Fighting the Opioid Crisis. Retrieved March 05, 2020, from https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/Downloads/Opioid-epidemic-roadmap.pdf

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, February). Opioid Overdose Crisis. doi:https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (2019, September 4). What is the U.S. Opioid Epidemic? Retrieved March 05, 2020, from U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html