APHA Opioid Abuse Guidelines Advocate Conservative Care
Editorial Staff
"Prevention and Intervention Strategies to Decrease Misuse of Prescription Pain Medications," one of 18 new policy statements adopted during the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting and Exposition last month, includes recommendations advocating the use of nondrug complementary and integrative therapies. APHA Policy 20154 "urges public health and public policy education programs to prioritize and implement evidence-based community and provider training programs on mental health, non-pharmacological pain treatment alternatives, substance abuse and overdose prevention"; while a second resolution "urges prescription providers to be educated on identifying and treating pain with alternative modalities, and to coordinate pain management with complementary and integrative care providers."
The Chiropractic Health Care section of the APHA advocated for inclusion of the recommendations regarding complementary and integrative therapies, in collaboration with policy authors from the Public Health Nursing section. As Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, PhD, who spearheaded the CHC section's efforts, explained:
"The Public Health Nursing section advanced important policy to stem opioid abuse through recommendations to prescribers and public education campaigns. "They welcomed suggestions made by the Chiropractic Health Care section to include greater collaboration of care giving with complementary and integrative providers. This policy supports team-based care that gives patients more options when choosing a pain management strategy."
To learn more about the APHA's Chiropractic Health Care section, click here
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