Place, Date, Time, and Length of the Event: Harvard Kennedy School; March 29, 2017 – 6:00 pm; 1 hour

Topic under Discussion: The growth of opioid drugs addictions

Names of Participants: David Armstrong (speaker), Peter Shumlin (speaker), Gil Kerlikowske (speaker), Sheila Burke (moderator)

Brief Description of the Event: The participants discussed various aspects of the problems under investigation, including its causes, scope, and possible solutions. Apart from answering the questions of the moderator, the speakers replied to the questions of the audience about the role of physicians regarding the problem under discussion, the effectiveness of restrictions on painkillers, political courage, etc.

Description and Analysis of the Event

The participants started by reporting the current statistics related to the number of deaths due to prescription opioids overdose. Particularly, they emphasized that the death rates have significantly risen since 2000. Moreover, they stated that such a state of affairs was the problem of homeland security, and that US authorities and healthcare organizations had already began to discuss ways of reducing the opioid crisis. The participants of the event claimed that the prescription of opioid painkillers, such as Oxytocin, was one of the key causes of developing addictions to heroin. However, healthcare providers still continue to prescribe opioid painkillers due to unwillingness to try alternatives.

Apart from discussing general facts related to the problem, the participants mentioned specific cases. Particularly, Peter Shumlin informed the audience how he was fighting against drug addiction in Vermont. First, he insisted on minimizing restrictions for people seeking help in treatment centers. Second, Shumlin initiated the reform of the criminal justice system. For example, he offered to liberate non-violent offenders because it was cheaper to pay for their university studies than for their stay in prison. Third, the governor encouraged healthcare providers to prescribe fewer painkillers like Oxytocin. The speaker did not discuss the needs of addicted people. Addicts need education about opioid overdose and application of nalaxone kits (Fareed, Buchanan-Cummings, Crampton, Grant, & Drexler, 2015, p. 388). Gil Kerlikowske claimed that there were numerous factors causing opioid crisis, including lack of education and insufficient research on addictions and pain management, as well as hospitals’ management fear of customers’ complaints regarding pain management. David Armstrong added a few arguments about the negative role of pharmaceutical companies that try to make profits without taking the health of US citizens into consideration. Armstrong supported the initiative of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the minimization of the use of opioids in cases of chronic pain. CDC (2017) recommends the use of opioids only in cases of cancer, and palliative or end-of-life care. Armstrong also mentioned the intensive import of Fentanyl from China. According to him, that problem should be addressed though stricter customs and border control.

The short monologues of the moderator and the speakers were followed by the questions from the audience. For example, one of the guests asked about the ways of encouraging healthcare providers to use alternative painkillers. Peter Shumlin shared his personal experience of communication with healthcare providers. He visited them and told them that it was important to be careful with opioids. Another question concerned political courage. Peter Shumlin said that he did not have political courage. However, he said that he was not afraid of mistakes and opposition.

In conclusion, the participants of the event discussed the healthy policy regarding prescribed opioids. They concluded that healthcare providers should prescribe the aforementioned medications only in cases of acute pain, and that they should try to replace opiods with alternative painkillers for chronic pain, as well as to modify the eligibility requirements for treatment centers and improve the training of health providers. Besides, according to the participants, doctors should review their approaches to pain management. Finally, it is necessary to make changes in the criminal justice system, and customs and borders control.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.html

Fareed, A., Buchanan-Cummings, A. M., Crampton, K., Grant, A. & Drexler, K. (2015). Reversal of overdose on fentanyl being illicitly sold as heroin with naloxone nasal spray: A case report. The American Journal on Addictions, 24(5), 388-390.

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