Opioid Crisis: Research Funding Increases And So Do Deaths

Opioid Crisis: Surgeon Pushes for Accessible Anti-overdose Drug

       With increases in opioid deaths in America, medical experts say carrying an anti-overdose drug can be the difference between life or death.

       Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams is reportedly working with manufacturers to allow more people to carry the anti-overdose drug, naloxone, if they know someone at risk. Although the budget for opioid addiction research has nearly doubled, experts reportedly say it may not be enough to combat the crisis. According to Adams in the NBC News article,

“ With over half of overdoses occurring at home and three quarters of overdoses occurring in a nonmedical setting, we know we can't rely solely on first responders to save lives.”

       Despite the high price for the anti-overdoes drug, some states are allowing people with commercial health insurance to receive the drug for free, according to the article. Adams is also reportedly pushing companies to offer discounted prices so it may be more accessible to people in need. According to Adams, a company has already agreed up to a 90 percent discount to entities that receive funding through federal programs.

       Treating the opioid crisis has drastically increased the cost for private health insurance companies from $300 million to $2.6 billion from 2004 to 2016, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. 

To read NBC's full article click the link: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/federal-moves-help-opioid-crisis-not-enough-experts-say-n863121