Breaking the cycle: A public-private partnership to combat the American opioid epidemic

Derek Soled; Nishant Uppal; Scott G Weiner

doi:10.1016/j.hjdsi.2021.100592

Breaking the cycle: A public-private partnership to combat the American opioid epidemic

Healthc (Amst). 2021 Dec;9(4):100592. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2021.100592. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Authors

Derek Soled¹, Nishant Uppal², Scott G Weiner³

Affiliations

¹ Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Derek_soled@hms.harvard.edu.
² Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Nishant_uppal@hms.harvard.edu.
³ Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

PMID: 34739979
DOI: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2021.100592

Abstract

There has been an increased focus on the opioid epidemic in the United States, yet policy-based interventions such as prescription limits, restrictions on doctor shopping, and notification programs for high-volume prescribers have had no significant impact. In this paper, the authors explore a novel public health policy: a joint public-private partnership between the federal government and hospitals to establish long-term treatment centers for patients admitted to the emergency department after an overdose. These centers would provide medication for opioid use disorder, give individuals the necessary support for recovery, and reduce healthcare expenditures. Similar longitudinal strategies may be used in other areas of public health.

Keywords: Addiction policy; Integrated referral centers; Medication for addiction treatment; Opioid epidemic; Public-private partnership; Substance use disorder.

MeSH terms

Analgesics, Opioid* / therapeutic use
Humans
Opioid Epidemic
Opioid-Related Disorders* / epidemiology
Public Health
Public-Private Sector Partnerships
United States

Substances

Analgesics, Opioid