United States Public Sector Initiative to Address Prescription Drug Use and Heroin Use (Research Paper Sample)

United States Public Sector Initiative to Address Prescription Drug Use and Heroin Use
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United States Public Sector Initiative to Address Prescription Drug Use and Heroin Use
Abstract
Undertakings of public sector initiatives are occur in every country with a democratic and publicly affiliated government. Such are rampant around the globe with governments undertaking important and beneficial initiatives to better the lives of their citizens.
This paper explores the United States Government 2015 initiative to curb the increasing prescription opioid abuse in the country. The initiative is a collaboration of the government and other major non-governmental organizations.
The project is connected through all government agencies, through schools, health centers, research centers and law enforcement centers.
Ultimately, the paper will explore the financial implications of the project.
Introduction
A public sector initiative is a project incepted by the government or the public sector to improve to improve the livelihood of individuals under its jurisdiction. Public initiatives are rampant around the globe with governments undertaking important and beneficial initiatives to better the lives of their citizens. As such, this paper will explore a major public sector initiative currently ongoing in the United States and the financial implications of such a project. For years, the USA has struggled with drug infestation through abuse, trafficking, and addiction. Research by NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) estimated that approximately a third of drug users aged 12 and above began with prescription drugs CITATION np11 \p 7 \l 1033 (np, 2011, p. 7). In addition, the government, relevant families, and friends of individuals under prescription heroin and drug abuse have struggled enormously. Concurrently law enforcement agencies and treatment programs have been strained significantly. In an attempt to alleviate these problems, the United States led specifically by the President Barrack Obama launched a public sector initiative on 21 October 2015. The public sector (Federal, State and local governments) in collaboration with the private sector undertake the initiative whose purpose is to help alleviate the increasing problem of prescription heroin use and drug abuse CITATION The151 \l 1033 (TheWhiteHouse, 2015). The initiative incorporates over forty provider groups composing over 540,000 educators, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dentists and the like who partake in heroin prescriber training for a length of two years to ascertain their expertise in the practice. In addition to the government contribution, the private sector represented by the NBA (National Basketball Association), MLB (Major League Baseball), New York Times, Google, ABC, CBS, and other companies. The private sector donates money to the initiate PSAs on the dangers of prescription drug abuse CITATION The151 \l 1033 (TheWhiteHouse, 2015).
The Initiative
Opioids are drugs that originate from opium with some being legal and bough through a prescription, examples of such are morphine, hydrocodone, methadone, and oxycodone. Others are illegal drugs like heroin. Research has indicated that prescription drugs overdoses cause more deaths than the usually culpable vehicle accidents. The 259 million prescription drugs given annually only continue to emphasize the dangers of Opioids CITATION np11 \l 1033 (np, 2011). The President instructed Federal agencies and relevant departments to enact the first step of the initiative, which was to:
* Instigate Prescriber training, any health provider in the USA responsible for the prescription of opioids to undergo thorough training particularly intended at stemming inexperienced prescription. Under this step, the government agencies will ensure individuals already allocated the responsibilities of providing prescription drugs are trained further are to curb mistakes and errors. Apportion of controlled substances will be left to this trained professionals.
* Improving access to treatment, the president through the presidential memorandum instructed government health agencies to curb any barriers to treatment for heroin and prescription drug abusers. In addition reviews of agencies and departments responsible for provision, contracting, and reimbursing prescription drugs and heroin abuse drugs. After the identification of such barriers or anomalies, relevant actions should be taken to rectify them.
These two steps will be accorded the needed support by the private and public sector. In addition to the forty provider groups mentioned previously, the government is doubling physicians associated with prescription of buprenorphine, the main drug used to treat opioid addiction. The doubling of physicians will be from 30,000 to 60,000. Government and private agencies will also double prescribers of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug. As such, the number of casualties associated with opioids overdose will reduce significantly. Monitoring drug prescription programs in the States employees will be doubled over two years to ensure drugs prescribed are not adverse or do not initiate addiction in the users CITATION The151 \l 1033 (TheWhiteHouse, 2015). The initiative plans to initiate opioid awareness information through the relevant mediums to educate the over four million health providers in the United States on the basic requirements of opioid addicts and overdose cases. The prescription drug abuse and heroin use initiative is composed of numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations like American Medical Association (AMA), ACOF (American College of Emergency Physicians), AMWA (American Medical Women’s Association), and ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine). In addition, there are organizations such as American Nurses Association (ANA), American Dental Association (ADA), American Public Health Associations, relevant state, and local organizations CITATION The151 \l 1033 (TheWhiteHouse, 2015).
The initiative is only in the first steps of its development. However, one the more elaborate steps it intends on taking are allowing naloxone dispensation free without restrictions like the need for standing order from a physician in 20 more states. All the associations incorporated in the initiative have respective responsibilities to fulfill to accomplish the said goal. The organization responsible for lowering restrictions of getting naloxone CVS Health will also launch a program that will require physicians to conduct lessons in schools and colleges on the dangers of opioid overdoses. Employees of Chain drug stores will be educated on the overdoses associated with the named drugs and the use of naloxone. Accountability for the spread of opioid awareness online is obligated to avenues like Medscape and WebMD. The government in association with the APA (American Pharmacists association), will induct a program that will educate pharmacists on opioid uses and abuses through a set up program called Health Association of system pharmacists. Pharmacists will additionally be obligated to distribute inserts to their relevant population in an effort to spread awareness CITATION The151 \l 1033 (TheWhiteHouse, 2015).
Government organizations and agencies like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are obligated to generate new ideas and methodologies on the correct prescription of opioid related drugs. In addition, the CDC’s advanced research facilities are useful in the evaluation and improvement of quality prescription methodologies. It is vitally important for such an initiative to records of accomplishment of prescribing, overdoses, and other factors for the success of the initiative. Beside the health sector, several other agencies of the government are involved in the effort to deal with the scourge of opioid abuse. Police forces of the United States collectively known as the fraternal order of Police with its 325,000 sworn police officers have also taken added responsibilities to their duties. Every police officer is required to carry a mobile overdose resu...