Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose Launched

With more than 10 million Americans report misusing opioids, the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose was launched this week, with the aim of "uniting diverse stakeholders around the common goal of achieving meaningful legislative solutions to address opioid misuse and overdose". The Coalition is composed of leading state and national groups that are committed to advancing meaningful legislative and regulatory policies.   The Coalition's efforts will reportedly  focus around five key strategies to combat the opioid epidemic:
  • Improving access to medication-assisted treatment for those with opioid addiction • Expanding availability of naloxone in health care settings and beyond • Implementing enhanced prescription drug monitoring programs that track the dispensing and prescribing of controlled substances • Raising the level of opioid prescriber education • Enacting the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act     The Coalition, which held its held its inaugural meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington D.C. yesterday, so far comprises the following organizations:
  • American Academy of PAs • American Association of Nurse Practitioners • American College of Emergency Physicians • American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology • American Medical Student Association • American Society of Addiction Medicine • Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses • Facing Addiction • National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists • National Association of Social Workers • The Association of Recovery Schools • The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse • Young People in Recovery   For more information about the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose, visit http://www.stopopioidoverdose.org/http://www.stopopioidoverdose.org/