Advancing Opioid Stewardship Strategies to Save Lives
Sponsored by: 
America’s opioid epidemic continues to escalate. Preliminary federal data released in April 2021 showed that 87,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in the 12 months through August 2020, with opioid-related fatalities being a primary driver in those numbers.
That’s more than any 12-month period since the opioid epidemic began, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other CDC data show that:
- Opioids accounted for around 75% of all overdose deaths during the early months of the pandemic; about 80% of those included synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
- The final 2020 overdose death total in the U.S. could exceed 90,000, compared with 70,630 in 2019. That would be not only the highest annual number on record, but the largest single-year percentage increase in the last 20 years.
Download the Episode Abstract >>
Key Take Aways
Here is what our experts had to say:
Isolation and social distancing are risk factors for opioid abuse.
Areas to improve in the fight against opioids include awareness, harm reduction and decreasing stigma.
Comprehensive screening can help keep a pulse on substance use in your community.
Pay attention to pain management protocols and invest in alternatives to opioids programs.
Speakers
Alicia Mikolaycik Gonzalez, M.D.
Regional Director
CA Bridge Program
Steven A. Noel, Ph.D. (DABCC), MT (ASCP)
Senior Clinical Consultant
Siemens Healthineers
Robyn Begley, DNP, R.N., NEA-BC, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer, AONL
Chief Nursing Officer, SVP Workforce, AHA
Fuel Your Transformation
Health care leaders are more in need of innovative solutions than ever before. The AHA Transformation Talks series of video discussions among health care thought leaders offers insights to help hospital and health systems navigate health care’s new, disruptive environment and prepare for what’s next. Each 10-minute video in this series focuses on a transformational topic explored by the 2021 AHA Environmental Scan and SHSMD's Futurescan 2021-2026: Health Care Trends and Implications. Explore the videos on this page for fresh ideas and best practices to guide you through this time of tremendous upheaval.
Abstract Overview
Read this abstract to learn about how current demands are impacting the health care workforce.
AHA Resources
These opioid epidemic resources include AHA materials and others addressing clinician education on the opioid epidemic.
Video Series Developed in Collaboration with:
