The Opiate Crisis

Much has been written about the opiate crisis in the US — it’s agreed among experts that something must be done to address this crisis. Congress has proposed huge amounts of money to tackle the crisis, but I haven’t seen any tangible results. One problem is lack of quality treatment options. Addiction treatment across the US is inconsistent, opening the way to scam artists who are taking advantage of the crisis. Another problem is lack of access — only around 10% of those in need of addiction treatment receive any kind of treatment. So, there’s a lack of national standards guiding quality, evidence-based addiction treatment, and a lack of access to the mish-mash of what’s available.

The following is an excerpt from Managed Healthcare:

The CDC estimates that 114 people die a day because of drugs, and 6,748 will visit hospital emergency rooms for treatment. A survey conducted by the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds, however, that as many as 90% of people who most need drug rehab do not receive it. 

SAMSHA has done a good job trying to establish national standards for addiction treatment, but there’s no powerful lobby for addiction treatment pushing for action. Society is torn when it comes to addiction — many still see it as a moral issue that requires will power and/or a religious conversion, or they see it as a law enforcement issue. Most people prefer not to think about addiction unless forced to because a family member or close friend or associate has a problem.

I talk to people all the time who have no understanding at all of addiction, much less what constitutes quality, evidence-based treatment. It’s no wonder that treatment outcomes are sketchy, and that many people have a negative opinion of treatment. If we can’t establish standards based on what has worked, then it’s a gamble when someone searches for treatment. CARF is a national accreditation organization that provides voluntary surveys of treatment facilities. If an addiction facility is CARF accredited, then at least the basics of evidence-based addiction treatment are present. It pays to do homework when seeking addiction treatment. Not all treatment offerings are equal.

In order to address the fundamental problems that have created the opiate crisis, quality, evidence-based addiction treatment has to be a major, fundamental part of the solutions.