Federal Officials Champion Multifaceted Response to Addiction Crisis

In his opening address at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit on Monday afternoon in Atlanta, US Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky told attendees that the time has come to “flip the script” on the opioid epidemic that has ravaged the nation.

“The epidemic was created under our watch, and it will end under our watch,” Rogers said.

After witnessing a record 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021, ramped up efforts at the federal and state level have produced modest improvements, Rogers said.

“I can say with confidence that we have the ability to ignite a sharper dive in those numbers because we have a multipronged formula that works with passionate individuals leading the way,” Rogers said as he opened the 12th annual Rx Summit along with Operation UNITE President and CEO Nancy Hale.

Robert Califf, MD, MACC, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), later took the stage and continued Rogers’ theme of taking a multifaceted approach to addressing the addiction crisis.

Dr Califf outlined several areas of focus in the FDA’s efforts, including the following:

Prevention. Federal officials have taken several steps on this front, Dr Califf said, including expanding options for safe disposal of prescription medications and issuing an alert to health professionals regarding the rising use of illicit substances laced with xylazine, a medication for animals that is potentially toxic for humans.

Harm reduction. The FDA recently approved a nasal spray formulation of naloxone for over-the-counter, nonprescription use. The move was the result of collaboration with harm reduction organizations to identify the biggest hurdles to accessing the opioid overdose reversal medication.

Treatment. Dr Califf supported the emergence of digital therapeutics to enhance treatment options. Technological advancements in addiction treatment can take on many forms, from apps that monitor key metrics in patients to machine learning that supports risk assessments, Dr Califf added.

Dr Califf concluded by stressing the importance of good data—“our policies and actions are guided by quality and quantity of data collected”—and championing critical thinking.

“We are responding to the crisis in many ways, and I believe we are making a difference,” Dr Califf said. “But we have a long way to go, and we have to think creatively and strategically.”

Reference

Rogers H, Hale N, Califf R. Opening plenary session. Presented at Rx and Illicit Drug Summit; April 10-13, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia.