Veterans Affairs' Rapid Naloxone Initiative recognized in Fight against Opioid Overdose Deaths

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Rapid Naloxone Initiative recognized in Fight against Opioid Overdose Deaths | site |


(Information contained in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] press release dated: June 8, 2021)

Washington - - A life-saving initiative developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs is recognized as the 2020 recipient of the John M. Eisenberg National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality Award by The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum.

The award acknowledges the national impact of VA’s advancements in preventing opioid overdose deaths and improving the quality and safety of care that patients receive.

The VA Rapid Naloxone Initiative provides free Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution to Veteran patients at risk for opioid overdose. This also includes stocking Automated External Defibrillator cabinets in high risk areas with naloxone and VA Police having...

American Medical Association Statement on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Decision to remove Barriers for Opioid Treatment| site |



(Information contained in American Medical Association [AMA] press release dated: January 14, 2021)


The following statement is attributable to:

Patrice Harris, M.D., M.A. Chair, AMA Opioid Task Force Immediate Past President, American Medical Association “The AMA strongly endorses today’s decision by HHS to allow physicians to prescribe without a waiver highly effective medication for the treatment of patients with opioid use disorder. Patients are struggling to find physicians who are authorized to prescribe buprenorphine; the onerous regulations discourage physicians from being certified to prescribe it. The AMA urged HHS to change the regulations last year in order to remove a major barrier to reducing the nationwide epidemic of drug-related overdose and death. �...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Model Addresses Opioid Misuse among Expectant and New Mothers

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Goals are to improve quality of care, increase access to treatment based on state-specific needs, and reduce expenditures


(October 23, 2018) - - Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model, an important step in advancing the agency’s multi-pronged strategy to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. The model addresses the need to better align and coordinate care of pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD) through state-driven transformation of the delivery system surrounding this vulnerable population. By supporting the coordination of clinical care and the integration of other services critical for health, wellbeing, and recovery, the MOM model has the potential to improve...

U.S. Department of Justice Announces $35 Million to Battle the Distribution of Methamphetamine and Another $35 Million to Assist Children Impacted by the Opioid Crisis

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(October 25, 2018) - - Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced $35 million in funding to support law enforcement agencies in combating the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription opioids, and another $35 million to establish new programs to provide services to children victims of the opioid crisis. The announcement was made at the Department’s National Opioid Summit, which coincides with Red Ribbon Week, a yearly October event encouraging students, parents, schools, and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. Additionally, the upcoming Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 provides an opportunity for America...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Launches Interactive Data Tool to Help Rural Communities Address the Opioid Crisis

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New Community Assessment Tool Empowers Rural Leaders to Make Data-Driven Decisions to Build Resilient Communities



Washington, DC - - (October 4, 2018) - - Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched an interactive data tool to help community leaders build grassroots strategies to address the opioid epidemic. “Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural America in addressing this monumental challenge,” Hazlett said. “Local leaders in small towns across our country need access to user-friendly and relevant data to help them build grassroots solutions for prevention, treatment and recovery.” The opioid mi...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Provides New Funds to Battle the Opioid Overdose Epidemic

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Enhancing state, territorial, tribal, and non-governmental capacity to prevent opioid overdoses


(September 19, 2018) - - To address the opioid overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is increasing support to states, territories, tribes, and non-governmental organizations working to prevent opioid-related overdoses, deaths, and other outcomes. CDC has awarded $155 million in new funding to states and four U.S. territories to advance the understanding of the opioid overdose epidemic and to scale-up prevention and response activities, including improving the timeliness and quality of surveillance data. “This epidemic is the public health crisis of our time – and we are losing far too many Americans each day from opioid overdoses,�...

Attorney General Sessions Makes Multiple Major Announcements as the Justice Department Continues to Combat the Opioid Crisis

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Cleveland, OH
~ Wednesday, August 22, 2018




Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Justin, for that kind introduction. Thank you for your eight years of service to the Department of Justice, as well as your service in the Air Force, the Navy Reserve, and as an Assistant D.A. in Manhattan.

It is an honor to be here with my fellow prosecutors and law enforcement officers to make some announcements about one of the most important issues we face: our fight against the opioid epidemic.

But first, I want to thank the outstanding leadership team standing behind me today:

• Jesse Panuccio, our acting Associate Attorney General,
• Brian Benczkowski, our newly-confirmed head of the Criminal Division,

...

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Officials Discuss Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis

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(June 19, 2018) - - On today's date, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published the following information: On June 19, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials participated in a hearing titled "Opioids in the Homeland: DHS Coordination with State and Local Partners to Fight the Epidemic." The hearing took place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was held by the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency. During the hearing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Director of Field Operations, Baltimore Casey Durst and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Marlon Miller discussed DHS efforts to both stop the flow of illegal opioids into American communities an...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves First Generic Versions of Suboxone Sublingual Film, which may Increase Access to Treatment for Opioid Dependence

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Agency is taking additional steps to advance the development of new FDA-approved treatments for opioid dependence and encourage their more widespread use



(June 14, 2018) - - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) sublingual film (applied under the tongue) for the treatment of opioid dependence. “The FDA is taking new steps to advance the development of improved treatments for opioid use disorder, and to make sure these medicines are accessible to the patients who need them. That includes promoting the development of better drugs, and also facilitating market entry of generic versions of approved drugs to help ensure broa...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves the First Non-opioid Treatment for Management of Opioid withdrawal Symptoms in Adults

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Encouraging more widespread innovation and development of safe and effective treatments for opioid use disorder remains top agency priority



(May 16, 2018) - - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Lucemyra (lofexidine hydrochloride) for the mitigation of withdrawal symptoms to facilitate abrupt discontinuation of opioids in adults. While Lucemyra may lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms, it may not completely prevent them and is only approved for treatment for up to 14 days. Lucemyra is not a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), but can be used as part of a broader, long-term treatment plan for managing OUD. “As part of our commitment to support patients struggling with addiction, we’re dedicated to encourag...

U. S. Food and Drug Administration Takes New Steps to Advance the Development of Innovative Products for Treating Opioid Use Disorder

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Editor's note: A "disease" or "disorder" called "OUD" ("Opioid Use Disorder") is highlighted


(April 20, 2018) - - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today the latest action to encourage and support the development of treatment options for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). The agency has released the first of two new draft guidances intended to aid industry in developing new medications for use in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid dependence. The first guidance, released today, explains the FDA’s current thinking about drug development and clinical trial design issues relevant to the study of sustained-release “depot” buprenorphine products (i.e., modified-release products for injection or implantation). “T...

Surgeon General Releases Advisory on Naloxone, an Opioid Overdose-Reversing Drug

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Urges more individuals to carry life-saving medication

Surgeon General Adams

(April 5, 2018) - - Today, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., urged more Americans to carry a lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The medication, naloxone, is already carried by many first responders, such as EMTs and police officers. The Surgeon General is now recommending that more individuals, including family, friends and those who are personally at risk for an opioid overdose, also keep the drug on hand.

An estimated 2.1 million people in the U.S. struggle with an opioid use disorder. Rates of opioid overdose deaths are rapidly increasing. Since 2010, the number of opioid overdose deaths has doubled from...

Department of the Interior Secretary Zinke Welcomes Traveling Memorial to Lives Lost in Opioid Epidemic

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Washington, DC - - (March 27, 2018) - - Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke applauded President Trump for welcoming the “Prescribed to Death” exhibit to the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where it will be hosted by the National Park Service and will be open to the public from April 12 until April 18, 2018.

The interactive exhibit, created by the National Safety Council as part of its “Stop Everyday Killers” public engagement campaign, features personal stories, impactful videos, and startling statistics. It also includes a wall with 22,000 simulated pills, each representing the face of an American overdose.

“‘The Prescribed to Death’ exhibit brings the very real tragedy experienced by countless American families to Washington,...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation takes on Opioid Abuse and Overdose Epidemic



Explore critical challenges and actions employers can take in the midst of this growing epidemic






Atlanta, GA - - (March 15, 2017) - - The United States is in the midst of an alarming opioid overdose epidemic, and U.S. employers are challenged by the epidemic’s toll on their workers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids were involved in the overdose deaths of more than 33,000 Americans in 2015, nearly quadruple the number from 2000 and more than any year on record. The estimated lost productivity for people in the United States with opioid use disorder totaled $20.4 billion in 2013.

Business Pulse: Opioid Overdose Epidemic, launched today by the CDC Foundation, explores how CDC is working to protect individuals and families—many of whom are in the workplace—from...