Source: National Academy of Medicine
The response to the U.S. opioid crisis has been fractured, making it hard for experts to collaborate and share best practices. This approach has led to an abundance of policies and solutions, many of which target small portions of the crisis rather than taking a holistic view. To bring together experts from across industries, organizations, and specialties, the National Academy of Medicine and the Aspen Institute launched the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. Through convenings, publications, strategic partnerships, webinars, this podcast, and other outlets the experts who comprise the Action Collaborative aim to uplift established evidence, promote best practices, identify research gaps, and identify collaborative approaches to countering the opioid crisis.
In each episode of Countering the Opioid Crisis: Time to Act, Ruth Katz, Vice President and the Executive Director of the Health, Medicine, and Society Program at the Aspen Institute and co-chair of the NAM’s Action Collaborative, will host experts who will discuss critical aspects of the opioid crisis, the response, and research that is being conducted to better understand the disease of addiction and the management of chronic pain.
Episode 4: Addressing the Recent Trends in the Opioid Epidemic
In this episode, Ruth Katz hosts Dr. Rachel Levine, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health and co-chair of the NAM’s Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, and Brad Finegood, Strategic Advisor in Public Health in Seattle & King County in Washington State. They discuss the latest overdose statistics from the CDC and what it will take to reverse these trends. In this episode, we will explore the opioid crisis at the local, state, and federal levels to learn what strategies are being utilized to address the deadly trends in different populations. Assistant Secretary Levine offers insight into the federal response, which addresses four pillars: prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. Working on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in Seattle, Brad shares his experience building community-based strategies to combat overdoes and the toll that increased drug use has had in the region. Listen for more about how we can turn the tide on the opioid epidemic in the United States at all levels.
