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Amanda Rupp | Nov 3, 2016

FDA continues to battle opioid epidemic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided an update about its sustained work to fight the opioid epidemic crisis, which is an ongoing major health concern throughout the nation.

People are abusing, misusing and becoming addicted to opioids across the U.S.

Leaders with the FDA toured the regions that have been hit hardest with the crisis: West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. They met with survivors of opioid addiction and overdose. They also collaborated with government officials, community activists and health care providers. Together, they have worked toward resolving this ongoing health crisis.

Visits included time at the nationally known neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) located at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Over one-third of the children at this NICU are diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), which is life-threatening if it is not diagnosed and treated.

Many women who take opioids don’t plan to become pregnant, don’t know they’re pregnant or don’t realize the effect opioids have on their unborn children. These women may use opioids for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or other conditions.

NOWS is just one problem that health care leaders are trying to solve related to the crisis. The University of Tennessee’s Medical Center held a roundtable event to exchange ideas that strive to resolve the opioid abuse problem, which would also resolve NOWS.

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