The AMA and Manatt Health 2022 State Toolkit identifies more than 400 state laws, regulations, policy guidance and other select national actions being implemented to help end the nation's drug overdose epidemic. The resources of laws and policies in-action are organized across six key areas: 1. Increasing access to evidence-based treatments to help patients with an SUD. 2. Ensuring access to addiction medicine, psychiatrists and other trained physicians. 3, Enforcing mental health and SUD parity laws. 4. Improving access to multidisciplinary, multimodal care for patients with pain. 5. Expanding harm reduction efforts to reduce death and disease. 6. Improving monitoring and evaluation to inform evidence-based interventions. The AMA and Manatt Health encourage all states to use this resource as a go-to guide for implementing actions to increase access to evidence-based treatment and save lives from overdose.
“This report underscores two simple facts: insurers will not change their behaviors without increased enforcement and accountability, and patients will continue to suffer until that happens,” according to the letter from AMA CEO James L. Madara, M.D.
This AMA model bill is a 2021 update of longstanding AMA advocacy. Provisions include: Enhanced protections for Good Samaritans who seek help during an overdose event Broad support for needle exchange and syringe services programs Increased authority to distribute and increase access to naloxone Decriminalization of fentanyl test strips and other drug checking supplies For more information, contact [email protected]
Issued September 2021
Physicians and other authorized users queried state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) more than 910,000,000 times in 2020; more than double compared to 2018.
New national data from leading health data clearinghouse IQVIA show that every state in the nation saw a large decrease of prescription opioids dispensed from retail pharmacies between 2011-2020. Every state also saw large decreases in dosage strength, measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) during the same time period.
AMA President, Susan R. Bailey, MD and the AMA Director of Science and Drug Policy, Amy B. Cadwallader, PhD presented a session at the 2021 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit that highlighted the reasons why data standardization and public health interventions have been elusive and they provide actionable solutions for states, organizations, and policymakers to meaningfully address the nation’s overdose epidemic.
Updated May 12, 2022 This issue brief is focused on positive interventions from 40 states that are working to help increase access to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders, patients with pain and harm reduction efforts. The reports include news releases, data from multiple and varied sources, including national, state and local public health agencies, advocacy organizations, law enforcement, emergency medical services, hospitals, treatment centers, research journals and others.
AMA resource details numerous state parity violations and provides specific recommendations for meaningful oversight and enforcement.
New issue brief shows broad use of increased DEA prescribing and treatment flexibility; barriers and concerns, however, persist.
This issue brief summarizes the findings of a recent AMA, Colorado Medical Society, Colorado Pain Society and Manatt Health report submitted to the Colorado Division of Insurance in support of multidisciplinary, multimodal pain care.
The American Medical Association, Colorado Medical Society, Colorado Pain Society and Manatt Health worked with Oliver Wyman to provide a detailed Request for Information to the Colorado Division of Insurance on the costs associated with the health coverage provisions proposed in Colorado House Bill 20-1085 that would have increased access to multidisciplinary, multimodal pain care.
The AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force urges physicians and other health care professions to continue taking action to help reverse the nation’s drug overdose epidemic—and the Task Force also calls on policymakers to take specific steps to remove barriers to evidence-based care for patients with pain and those with a substance use disorder.
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