American Medical Association

AMA model harm reduction bill

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]

Recommendations of AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force

Issued September 2021

AMA prescription drug monitoring program national survey

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.

Opioid prescriptions decrease for 10th consecutive year

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.

Organized Medicine’s Role in Strengthening a Public Health Approach to Overdose Morbidity and Mortality

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.

Reports of efforts to help the nation’s overdose epidemic

Updated December 22, 2022

This issue brief is focused on positive interventions from nearly every state 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.

American Medical Association

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