Health Policy Analysis Part I

Problem Statement

The state of Kentucky has a number of policies and procedures in place for prescribing and monitoring of opioid use as well as for prevention of prescription opioid misuse and abuse (OIG, 2020). However, because Kentucky opioid overdose deaths are still far too high, what more could be done on the policy end to help prevent opioid prescription abuse?

Background

In Kentucky, the number of deaths due to prescription opioid abuse has more than tripled since 1999 (CDC, 2020). In response to this public health crisis, the state has implemented a number of prevention initiatives, including education campaigns, prescription monitoring programs, and law enforcement efforts (Faryar et al., 2017). However, the effectiveness of these measures is unclear. Additionally, little is known about the best way to prevent prescription opioid abuse in Kentucky. The existing research on this topic is limited in scope and does not provide a clear picture of the problem. As a result, there is a need for further research on the efficacy of different prevention strategies in Kentucky. That is why this problem has been chosen for analysis. Only by understanding the breadth and scope of the problem can we hope to develop effective solutions.

It is no secret that the United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Every day, more than 130 people die from an opioid overdose, and the problem is only getting worse. Kentucky is one of the states most affected by this crisis, with a death rate that is nearly double the national average. While there are many factors that contribute to this problem, one of the most significant is the overprescription of opioids. In Kentucky, there are more than 1.5 million prescriptions for opioids written every year, which is enough for every resident to have their own bottle of pills (KHPI, 2015).

Kentucky has several policies that focus on regulations and restrictions regarding the prescription of opioids, but there is little to no emphasis on raising education and awareness (OIG, 2020). This means that anyone who wants to obtain opioids can do so easily, without any consequences and without any requirement to undergo education on the potential risks and harm that opioid abuse can cause. There are some who believe that a shift in focus to prevention and treatment based on increasing health literacy and providing better education, rather than attempting to rely solely on regulation alone, would help address this problem (Rogers et al., 2020). Others believe that regulations need to be put in place to make it more difficult for people to obtain opioids, but also that more resources need to be dedicated to treatment and recovery and prevention as well through education. Only then it is argued by advocates that Kentucky willbe able to start making progress in combating the opioid epidemic.

Issues That Must be Analyzed

In recent years, the problem of prescription opioid abuse has become a major public health concern in the United States. Each year, thousands of people die from overdoses of these drugs, and many more suffer from debilitating addictions. Kentucky is one of the states hardest hit by this epidemic, with a high rate of overdose deaths and a growing number of people addicted to opioids (CDC, 2020). Despite these trends, there is still a lack of awareness and understanding of the problem among large portions of the general public. This is particularly true in rural areas of the state, where access to information and resources is often limited. As a result, there is a clearly a need for education and awareness on this topic in order to help prevent further abuse and addiction. Health care providers and practitioners need to...…for providing care, so they have an incentive to prescribe opioids in order to treat pain. Insurance companies want to keep costs down, so they may be reluctant to pay for alternative pain treatments that could be more effective in the long run. These economic factors help to explain why the problem of opioid prescription abuse has been so difficult to solve.

Legal Factors

Several legal factors have had an impact on how stakeholders address the problem of opioid prescription abuse prevention in Kentucky. One of the most significant has been the state's decision to implement a prescription monitoring program (PMP). The PMP requires all pharmacies and practitioners who dispense controlled substances to enter information about the prescriptions into a central database. This information is then used to track patterns of prescribing and dispensing, with the goal of identifying and preventing potential cases of abuse or diversion. The PMP has been credited with reducing the rate of prescription drug overdoses in Kentucky, and it has been widely adopted by other states as well (OIG, 2020).

Another legal factor that has influenced stakeholders is the passage of the Good Samaritan law. This law provides limited immunity from prosecution for individuals who seek medical help for someone who is experiencing a drug overdose. The law was designed to encourage people to call for help in these situations, without fear of being arrested themselves. In Kentucky, the Good Samaritan law has been credited with saving lives and helping to reduce the number of overdose deaths (OIG, 2020).

Finally, the states decision to sue several pharmaceutical companies over their marketing practices related to opioids has also had an impact on how stakeholders view the issue (Adams, 2017). The lawsuits allege that the companies engaged in deceptive marketing practices that downplayed the risks of opioids and led to increased rates of abuse and addiction. The suits are ongoing,…