$1 Billion to Fight Opioid Epidemic
HHS Starts Things off with $485 Million in Grants
Opioids were responsible for 33,000 deaths in 2015 according to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price. In 2017, the toll continues to rise, with the New York Times reporting possible record overdoses and deaths from drug addiction this year.
To aid in combating the crisis, the 21st Century Cures Act, passed by Congress late last year, provides $1 billion in grants over two years to fight the opioid epidemic. Included are funds to boost prescription drug monitoring programs, which are state run efforts to collect and distribute data on the use of controlled substances.
Already this year, the Trump Administration has tasked HHS with providing $485 million in grants to all US States and Territories immediately. These Opioid STR Grants (State Targeted Response) are administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
“These grants aim to increase access to treatment, reduce unmet need, and reduce overdose related deaths. I want to ensure the resources and policies are properly aligned with and remain responsive to this evolving epidemic,” said Secretary Price.
New Guidelines and Laws
As the opioid crisis unfolds, new treatment guidelines from the CDC and new laws in a number of states regulate the prescription of opioids in response to acute and chronic pain.
States passing laws limiting opioid prescription include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. To date, state laws have often settled on a limit of 7 days for initial prescriptions.
While recognizing the national problem presented by opioid addiction, many doctors worry that new restrictions may hamper their treatment of acute and chronic pain.
Drug Testing Helps All Sides
Whether you run a Treatment Center working to isolate individual addictions; you’re an emergency medical technician trying to identify what drugs you’re up against; or you’re a physician who needs to better understand your patients’ medication levels, accurate, state-of-the-art drug testing becomes an invaluable tool.
Drug testing has been growing in recent years, and will to continue to expand as more toxicology labs come online in venues as diverse as drug courts, doctors’ offices, treatment centers, and community medical facilities.
At Drug Testing Program Management (DTPM), we provide comprehensive services that aid in establishing, certifying, training, and supplying toxicology labs and reference labs. Our state-of-the-art equipment and protocols assure accuracy, reliability, and affordability.
Serving over 450 labs in 45 states, DTPM is a leading provider of turnkey laboratory solutions. You own the lab, we make it a success.
Interested in learning more? Call us at 256-845-1261, or visit our website at www.DTPM.com.
