AMA and Manatt Health released an updated version of their national policy roadmap, where hospitals and health systems can help make a difference in the ongoing prescription drug abuse crisis.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Manatt Health released the second annual national policy roadmap Wednesday afternoon to help guide state policymakers in "taking action” to end the nation's opioid and drug overdose epidemic.
AMA and Manatt Health identified six key areas where healthcare stakeholders can take action to help end the epidemic. The following are areas that hospitals and health systems can help make a difference:
- Improve access to "evidence-based treatment," and the removal of prior authorization for medications to treat opioid use disorder.
- Enforce parity laws around mental health and substance abuse disorders.
- Take steps to "ensure adequate networks" that give patients timely access to physicians and other healthcare professionals
- Increase access to non-opioid and non-pharmacologic options for pain management.
- Expand patient access to naloxone and coordinated care.
- Identify and evaluate policies and outcomes for successes and what policies might need revisions.
AMA and Manatt Health also hosted a webinar to accompany the release of the 2020 roadmap. During the event, Dr. Patrice A. Harris, the AMA’s immediate past resident and chair of the organization’s Opioid Task Force, said that hospitals and health systems are "critical” stakeholders that can act and help end the drug overdose epidemic.
"For instance, some emergency departments have worked to offer care and start care regarding medications used for an opioid use disorder … and then make sure that those folks are linked to the appropriate levels of care," Dr. Harris said.
The roadmap is an update to the August 2019 roadmap, which examined the opioid epidemic responses in Colorado, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and identified the "promising" strategies being used and areas to improve. It includes lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There's a lot of opportunity for hospitals and health systems,” Harris added. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to determine what the needs are in their community and their system, [but hospitals and health systems should] work together with other partners and move forward on that."
"The recommendations laid out in this year’s analysis build on our work from 2019 and elevate proven solutions," Joel Ario, the managing director of Manatt Health, said in a statement. "Still, we have an unprecedented public health challenge today, as the COVID-19 pandemic has strained our health care system, exacerbated the drug overdose epidemic, and highlighted pre-existing, systemic barriers to care facing vulnerable and underrepresented populations."
Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.