Progress in preventing opioid abuse, more needs to be done
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Pick, with the 66th Security Forces Squadron, holds a nasal applicator and naloxone medication vial at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. Naloxone is one of several medications designed to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Hanscom was the first Air Force installation to issue the drug to law enforcement personnel under permission of the base commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Mark Herlihy)
WASHINGTON — The Military Health System is making progress in preventing and managing opioid abuse among its beneficiaries, but further actions in education and prevention are needed, the director of the Defense Health Agency said recently.
Navy Vice Adm. Raquel C. Bono told the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee that the Military Health System has an obligation to provide the best care for its beneficiaries, including in pain management, while taking steps to prevent addiction.
"The department has made strides in managing opioid abuse within our system and is continuously looking to further enhance our programs,” she told the committee members.
Less than one percent of active duty service members either abuse or are addicted to opioids, she said, adding, the overdose death rate among active duty service members is 2.7 out of 100,000, half of the national rate when adjusted for demographics.
Steps to Educate, Prevent, Manage
In the Military Health System, 83 percent of long-term opioid patients are older than 45 years old, most likely to be retirees or retiree family members, and obtain most of their care from outside of military hospitals and clinics, Bono said.
She outlined steps the department is taking to prevent opioid abuse, to include: instituting comprehensive provider education that leads to a reduction in opioid prescribing; expanding partnerships with federal, state, private sector and contracted partners; developing alternatives to opioids for both direct and Purchased CareThe TRICARE Health Program is often referred to as purchased care. It is the services we “purchase” through the managed care support contracts.purchased care settings; and further expanding a prescription drug monitoring program to include state monitoring programs.
Commitment to Patients, Nation
The Military Health System’s mission is to ensure the medical readiness of the nation’s armed forces and provide world-class healthcare for its 9.4 million beneficiaries, Bono told the committee.
As part of the larger U.S. health system, the Military Health System has a shared responsibility in addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic, she said.
"This crisis is touching the lives of so many of our fellow citizens and the department is committed to playing its part to help combat the epidemic and ensure our patients receive the finest care we can provide,” Bono said.
She explained DoD’s approach to the opioid crisis has a dual focus: to implement a comprehensive model of pain management that focuses on nonpharmacologic pain treatments; and to optimize safe usage for patients when opioid use is necessary.
The department, according to Bono, is “making headway, but there is more to be done in educating our patients and providers on threats from opioid addiction and strategies to reduce abuse.”
Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. Read original post.
DHA PI 6025.04: Pain Management and Opioid Safety in the MHS
Policy
The purpose of our MHS Pain Management Campaign is to enable Clinical Communities to provide evidence-based pain management guided by clinical practice guidelines (CPGs): effectively treat acute and chronic pain; promote non-pharmacologic treatment; prevent acute pain from becoming chronic; and minimize use of opioids with appropriate prescribing only when indicated. The Pain Management Clinical Support Service achieves these ends through clinical improvements in pain care, clinician and patient education, and research. This Defense Health Agency-Procedural Instruction (DHA-PI) is a dual effort between the Pain Management Clinical Support Service and the Clinical Communities to achieve our stated purpose through implementation of the MHS Stepped Care Model.
- Identification #: DHA PI 6025.04
- Date: 6/8/2018
- Type: DHA Procedural Instruction
- Topics: TRICARE Pharmacy Program | Substance Abuse
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Policy
Establishes policies, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for problematic alcohol and drug use prevention, identification, diagnosis, and treatment for DoD military and civilian personnel.
- Identification #: DoD Instruction 1010.04
- Date: 2/20/2014
- Type: Instructions
- Topics: Substance Abuse
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