Addressing The Opioid Epidemic Requires “New And Innovative Solutions.”

In an opinion piece for The Hill’s “Pundits Blog,” Jason Friesen, founder of Trek Medics International, and Jeff Schlegelmilch, a senior adviser at the nonprofit organization, discuss the opioid epidemic, stating that with the rising number of drug overdose deaths, “new and innovative solutions” are needed “to combat it from all angles.” Friesen and Schlegelmilch state that utilizing “life-saving treatments” such as naloxone, is necessary to defeat the epidemic. The authors describe efforts at the national level to address the opioid epidemic, such as the 21st Century Cures Act and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, adding that although healthcare reform brings uncertainty, it also presents “an opportunity for states to approach the opioid epidemic with the full ingenuity our nation has to offer.”