Henry L. Dorkin, MD, FAAP, President of the Massachusetts
Medical Society, released the following statement:
“The opioid crisis, which is taking the lives of friends,
neighbors, and family members across the country, should rightly be declared a
public health emergency. However, in order to truly stem the tide of this
epidemic, the declaration must be matched by a coordinated federal effort that
is equivalent to what is already being done at the state level.
“This crisis knows no borders, and it impacts people from
all walks of life, of all ages, across the United States. Here in
Massachusetts, despite having had a wide range of public and private efforts
underway for several years, we saw roughly 2,000 opioid-related overdose deaths
just last year.
“Our experience has demonstrated the value of
patient-focused partnership between the medical community and elected officials
at all levels. The Commonwealth’s 2014 declaration of the opioid
epidemic as a public health crisis helped lead to a dramatic increase in the
use of the state’s prescription drug monitoring system, MassPAT. Governor
Baker’s commitment to make the system a true clinical tool for physicians has
had a major impact. According to data from the Department of
Public Health, while MassPAT searches increased by 500 percent between the
first quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2017, the number of Schedule II
opioid prescriptions written dropped by 23 percent and the number of
individuals receiving prescriptions dropped by 24 percent. But there is still
much work to be done in implementing change that saves lives – a goal that we
should all share.
“Massachusetts has been an innovator and a leader in
identifying and implementing state and federal policies that slow the spread of
opioid use disorder and improve the ability of affected patients to get the
care that they need in pursuit of recovery. For this, we thank our elected
leaders, including local officials; Governor Baker, state lawmakers and public
health officials; and members of our Congressional delegation, who have fought
successfully for legislation that has addressed the crisis nationally.
“The
data from Massachusetts confirm that policy changes can help make a difference
in slowing the growth of the crisis and the countless tragic deaths that it
causes. While we appreciate the effort from the Administration to bring to bear
the strength of the federal government, we also believe that this crisis
requires the allocation of adequate federal resources to make a meaningful
difference in the lives of the people impacted by opioid use disorder.”
