HHS awards more than $ 1 billion to fight opioid crisis | Health Informatics Magazine | IT health



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The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently awarded more than $ 1 billion in specific opioid subsidies to help tackle the health care crisis.

The awards support HHS 'five-point opiate strategy, launched last year. According to HHS, new data suggests that efforts are now making progress at the national level.

"Addressing the opioid crisis with all possible resources and the best science we have is a priority for President Trump and everyone at HHS," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. provided that this week builds on the progress made in addressing this epidemic by empowering communities and families on the frontline. "

"This week, HHS has updated its strategic framework to deal with the opioid crisis, which uses science as the basis for our overall strategy," said Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health and Advisor for opioid policy. "With these new funds, states, tribes and communities across America will be able to advance our strategy and continue to make progress in the fight against this crisis."

The National Drug Use and Health Survey conducted in 2017 by the Administration of Addiction and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) found that the number of Americans who started using heroin had declined. about half between 2016 and 2017. for the second year in a row, and the number of people receiving specialized treatment for heroin use has increased.

From January 2017 to August 2018, the amount of opioids prescribed in America decreased by 21%. At the same time, the number of prescriptions fulfilled for naloxone increased by 264%, while the number of prescriptions for buprenorphine, a form of drug-assisted treatment, increased by 16% (data Total Patient Tracker of IQVIA).

The opioid crisis has made more than 130 lives a day in 2017.

As part of the $ 1 billion grant announcement, the Addiction and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded more than $ 930 million in public funding to fight the opioid epidemic and expand access treatment and recovery support services.

In addition, SAMHSA has also allocated approximately $ 90 million to other state and community-based programs to expand access to drug-assisted treatment, increase the distribution and use of overdose reversal drugs, and increase activities of

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has granted more than $ 396 million to fight the opioid crisis. The investments will enable HRSA-funded community health centers, academic institutions and rural organizations to expand access to integrated substance abuse and mental health services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has allocated $ 155.5 million to increase support to states and territories working to prevent overdoses, deaths and other opioid-related effects. This funding will better understand the opioid overdose epidemic and intensify prevention and intervention activities, including improving timeliness and data quality. monitoring.

In addition, the CDC allocated $ 12 million to 11 tribal epidemiology centers and 15 tribal entities. These funds will improve surveillance of opioid overdoses to target prevention strategies to better address this threat to tribal communities.

Other actions by HHS agencies include the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Health, which recently alerted health care providers about how they could expand access to drug-assisted treatment through telemedicine.

HRSA has launched the Opioid Disorders Challenge for Pregnant Women and Moms ", which will reward technological innovations to improve access to treatment, rehabilitation and treatment services. addiction-related disorders in pregnant women families, especially in rural and geographically isolated areas.

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