Comprehensive new policy recommendations from the National Governors Association (NGA) provide guidance for states to address the burgeoning problem of prescription drug abuse and diversion.
The strategy, which relied on considerable feedback from the AMA and many other health care and public health organizations, recognizes that treatment is critical to breaking the cycle of addiction. The NGA issued the recommendations following its yearlong Prescription Drug Abuse Reduction Policy Academy.
While the initial policy discussions had focused on a law-enforcement strategy, the AMA helped shift the focus to a public health approach. AMA Trustee Patrice A. Harris, MD, was central to several of the NGA’s national roundtable meetings.
“When discussing efforts to fight this problem, we must remember to differentiate between those who are abusing prescription drugs and those who legitimately need these medications,” Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, MD, a co-leader on the NGA’s prescription drug abuse project, said in a news release.
The NGA also stressed the need for accurate and timely information about the prevalence and scope of a state’s prescription drug problem. States must understand what is driving drug abuse rates and which populations are most at risk to effectively target interventions.
Other NGA recommendations include:
- More effective use of prescription drug monitoring programs
- Strong gubernatorial leadership to promote collaboration between stakeholders
- Enhanced prescriber education
- Safe disposal sites for prescription drugs that are convenient and accessible
- Public education about the potential dangers of prescription drugs
