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WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT 1: FINAL PAPER TOPIC OUTLINE

1. Introduction

a. Subject: Fighting the opioid crises in the United States

b. Implementing laws within the medical industry and law enforcement level will aide in combatting the future of opioid use.

c. Thesis Statement: The medical industry has been a contributor to todays opioid crises. Only proper legislation within the healthcare industry will aide in combatting future opioid use.

2. Body Paragraphs*

a. The opioid epidemic has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the United States since 20001 and could claim another half million over the next decade. Although heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl account for an increasing proportion of opioid-involved overdoses, the majority of persons with opioid addiction started with prescribed painkillers.Existing Arguments

i. Association between physcian overprescribing opioid based drugs and addiction

1. Brady, K. T., McCauley, J. L., & Back, S. E. (2016). Prescription Opioid Misuse, Abuse, and Treatment in the United States: An Update. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 173(1), 18–26. http://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15020262citation

2. Bonhomme, J., Shim, R. S., Gooden, R., Tyus, D., & Rust, G. (2012). Opioid Addiction and Abuse in Primary Care Practice: A Comparison of Methadone and Buprenorphine as Treatment Options. Journal of the National Medical Association, 104(0), 342–350.

ii. Drug companies involvment

1. Approximately 1 in 12 US physicians received a payment involving an opioid during the 29-month study. These findings should prompt an examination of industry influences on opioid prescribing.citation https://www.google.com/search?q=opiois+medical+industry+ncbi&oq=opiois+medical+industry+ncbi&aqs=chrome..69i57.7175j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

2. Drug Companies’ Liability for the Opioid Epidemic https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1710756

3. Ausness RC. The role of litigation in the fight against prescription drug abuse. West VA Law Rev 2014;116:1117-1165

b. Your Argument

i. Implementing drug monitoring systems

ii. Increasing funding for alternative medications

iii. Implrementing new processes

iv. Increasing law enforcement presence and cracking down on illegal sales

v. Implementing rehabiliatation progams

vi. Implementing physcian training on drug/opiate prescribing

3. Conclusion

a. Summary of main points

i. Implementation of new processes regarding opioid prescribing

ii. Implementing laws on drug companies