opioids

President Trump Declares Opioid Crisis a Public Health Emergency

President Donald Trump has declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency.
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This action allows the Administration to address opioid abuse in the following ways:

  • Telemedicine services can be expanded, including services for remote prescribing of medicine used for mental health treatment or substance abuse.
  • Resources can be reallocated within the HIV/AIDS program to assist those with substance abuse.
  • The hiring process for temporary specialists “with the tools and talent needed” to address the opioid crisis effectively within the Department of Health and Human Services can be accelerated. 
  • The Department of Labor can issue dislocation worker grants to assist workers who have been displaced from the workforce due to the opioid crisis through dislocated worker grants.

In addition, other governmental agencies have taken steps to address the opioid crisis, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prescription Awareness Campaign and The Food and Drug Administration’s new requirements for the manufacturing of prescription opioids.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

President Donald J. Trump is taking action on drug addiction and the opioid crisis [press release]. Washington, DC: White House; October 26, 2017. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/26/president-donald-j-trump-taking-action-drug-addiction-and-opioid-crisis. Accessed October 27, 2017.