Technology Can Help Solve the Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis is being called the worst addiction epidemic in American history. The statistics tell a grim story: 33,000 drug overdoses in 2016 — equating to 91 American deaths every day and rising. 

In addition to the human toll of the epidemic, the crisis is placing an enormous burden on the U.S. economy. In 2015 alone, the epidemic was responsible for $504 billion in increased health-care costs, lost worker productivity and wages, and criminal justice system costs, to say nothing of the value of lives lost to overdoses. 

Recently, the White House convened top officials and other leaders for a summit on how to address this crisis and just this week, released an action plan. These efforts dovetail with a collection of hearings on legislative pathways by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, in addition to work being done by the House Ways & Means and Senate Finance Committees.

As the White House and Congress continue to look for impactful solutions, they should explore the important role technology and innovation can play. Medical devices have the potential to reduce America’s dependence on opioids for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, in some cases eliminating it altogether. 

For those who are already addicted, technology can help block difficult withdrawal symptoms and prevent overdoses. Innovation in medication management supports responsible stewardship, helping to prevent drug diversion and inappropriate access to opioids. Medical technology companies are also developing innovations that are minimally invasive, enabling patients to return to their daily lives quickly with less pain and discomfort after surgery.

Doctors have been prescribing opioids for many years for the treatment of acute pain related to injuries or surgery, or for longer-term chronic pain related to cancer and a myriad of other chronic health conditions. However, one of the dangerous side effects of these drugs is that they are highly addictive, leading to an increased potential for abuse and dependence. In the U.S. alone, 70 million patients are prescribed opioids for postsurgical pain each year. Of those patients, one in 15 will go on to experience long-term use or abuse. 

Currently, there are more than 200 FDA-approved medical device alternatives to opioids. But these technologies do not always find their way to patients. Why?

There are several barriers contributing to this lack of uptake. Awareness is one . While the opioid crisis is widely acknowledged and discussed, more education about opioid alternatives is critical for health-care professionals. Currently, technologies are often seen as a last resort, only prescribed to patients who have exhausted other types of treatment, such as medication and surgery. However, for many patients, technology can be used as a first-line treatment. 

The opioid epidemic also reaches deep in to the health-care community, with recent estimates suggesting that between 10 and 15 percent of health-care professionals struggle with substance abuse. Termed “drug diversion,” improperly disposed, unused opioids are a significant source of drugs for this population. Implementing technology solutions that neutralize partially administered or unused controlled substances could make a significant impact in reducing addiction among health-care workers, as would tools allowing hospitals to track access to and administration of drugs. 

In order to address the serious drug crisis our country is facing, resources and wide-scale cooperation will be necessary over a sustained period of time. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can play a critical role in this area by providing increased educational opportunities on technology alternatives for pain management as well as the proper dispensing and disposal of opioids. HHS Secretary Azar can help lead this charge. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also plays a critical role by addressing the coverage, coding, and payment challenges related to the use of medical technology alternatives to opioid use.

It is going to take hard work, commitment, and ingenuity to solve the opioid crisis. Congress and the administration should work together to leverage our country’s innovative medical technologies to help bring the crisis to an end.  

Scott Whitaker is president and CEO of AdvaMed (the Advanced Medical Technology Association).