Friday, October 26, 2018

Opioid Bill Is First Step in a Long Journey

Our opioid plight didn't appear overnight, and it's not going away any faster.

Still, we're moving in the right direction, as illustrated by President Trump signing the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, sweeping bipartisan legislation to fight opioid misuse and abuse.

Ohio has been described as "Ground zero" for the opioid epidemic - and rightly so.

As physician chair of the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium, I head a group representing five competing hospital systems.

We have all come together to fight prescription opioid abuse and misuse through communication, education, patient management, harm reduction, treatment, prevention, data analysis, and public policy reform.

The signing of this bill is a positive step, but the opioid crisis cannot be solved by a single piece of legislation.

Dr. Randy Jernejcic is the vice president of clinical integration for University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, and the physician chair of the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium.

https://www.realclearhealth.com/articles/2018/10/25/trumps_signing_of_opioid_bill_is_first_step_in_a_long_journey_110835.html

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