Actionable Advocacy: Combating the Opioid Epidemic with Evidence Based Public Health and Policy Solutions: Empowering Osteopathic Physicians to Lead Change-Actionable Advocacy: Combating the Opioid Epidemic with Evidence Based Public Health and Policy Solutions: Empowering Osteopathic Physicians to Lead Change

Actionable Advocacy: Combating the Opioid Epidemic with Evidence Based Public Health and Policy Solutions: Empowering Osteopathic Physicians to Lead Change

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Video Summary

Dr. Parle Chetver, an osteopathic physician, addressed Congress, highlighting the severe opioid crisis in America. Emphasizing patient-centered, evidence-based solutions, he outlined the opioid epidemic's devastation, marked by 82,000 deaths in 2022 alone. Dr. Chetver argued for the need to manage pain without promoting addiction, proposing several strategic measures. Key proposals included expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), integrating mental health services into primary care, and ensuring non-opioid pain management options are available and reimbursed by insurance. He stressed the significance of social determinants—housing, poverty, and education—in substance abuse and advocated for investment in social safety nets. Furthermore, Dr. Chetver urged policymakers to view osteopathic professionals as strategic partners, leveraging their holistic approach to pain management. Finally, he called for increased funding and education initiatives to enhance the healthcare system's national response to the opioid epidemic, fostering collaboration between the medical community and policymakers.

Keywords

opioid crisis

patient-centered solutions

medication-assisted treatment

non-opioid pain management

social determinants

osteopathic professionals