Urging Congress to fund a bill passed last summer addressing opioid abuse, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently stepped up its game, calling for implementation of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).
By scheduling hearings and drafting communications, the group has made a concerted effort to engage lawmakers in hastening funding for the bill. The measure contains provisions for financial support of state prescription databases in order to track naloxone dispensing, as well as to make efforts to provide help with addiction recovery.
"As legislators, you have heard the personal experiences of your constituents whose lives have been affected by opioid abuse," the organizations stated in a recent letter to all House and Senate members. "As providers, we strongly urge Congress to ensure that existing and newly created programs have the necessary resources to meet the needs of patients and families struggling with opioid abuse disorders."
In order to function, the CARA bill depends on federal funding. Investment is marked for personnel training for emergency responders and law enforcement officers; programs to help pregnant women struggling with substance abuse; and scientific inquiries to study neonatal environments for continued abstinence.
The pending legislation proposes that doctors and government leaders work together on a task force to establish standards for best practices for pain management. In the missive, AAFP urged Congress to provide as much funding as possible for CARA and to increase financial resources dedicated to opioid abuse prevention and treatment.
"Public awareness of the opioid crisis has grown significantly in recent months," according to the letter. "Importantly, this greater awareness also highlights shifting attitudes in how we as a society view addiction and substance use disorders, treating them as the diseases they are rather than as moral failings or weaknesses."
