US Surgeon General launches campaign to #TurnTheTide of opioid abuse

Seventy-eight Americans die from opioid overdoses every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The AOA is partnering with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, on a national campaign, Turn the Tide, that aims to help prescribers address the crisis.

The campaign urges physicians to take simple steps to turn the tide of the opioid epidemic, such as seeking education on how to treat pain safely and effectively; telling patients about the risks of opioid addiction; linking patients with addiction to evidence-based treatment; and discussing addiction as a chronic disease, not a moral failing.

The AOA has been an active partner in the national effort to reduce opioid abuse, working with the White House and Department of Health and Human Services as well as the AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse. Along with the American Association of College of Osteopathic Medicine, the AOA received assurance from 27 osteopathic medical schools that prescriber education will be a graduation requirement for all students starting in fall 2016. The AOA is also part of a work group organized by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy that coordinates physicians and pharmacists’ efforts to reduce prescription drug abuse.

To get involved in the Turn the Tide campaign, take the clinician pledge at TurnTheTideRx.org. The Turn the Tide campaign will also include a tour of areas across the country that have been affected by opioid abuse, including visits to treatment facilities, grand rounds with health care professionals and town hall meetings with community members.