For too many New Yorkers, the devastation of opioid addiction began following a routine medical procedure. A dental surgery. A sports injury. A prescription meant to manage short-term pain. What followed for some families was something no one anticipated: dependence, addiction and, in the worst cases, overdose. These outcomes could be mitigated with education from their physicians regarding the proper usage and risk factors associated with these prescriptions.
The Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act (S.6758B/A.9010B), sponsored by ztate Sen. Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal and passed by the state Senate, will ensure that all patients, and parents in the case of minors, receive a brief, standardized discussion about risks and safer options before starting opioids. New Yorkers deserve transparency in their health care decisions to understand both the benefits and the risks of the medications they are prescribed. In a crisis that has touched nearly every community in New York, empowering patients with knowledge is one of the most powerful tools we have. It is time for New York to join 21 other states who have adopted version of this legislation.
What does the legislation do?
At its core, this legislation is simple. Before issuing an initial opioid prescription, and again before issuing a third prescription in the same course of treatment, health care providers would have a brief but meaningful conversation with patients about the risks. That discussion would include the potential for addiction, the dangers of mixing opioids with alcohol or benzodiazepines, the clinical necessity of medication and evidence-based alternatives that may be appropriate.
These conversations are indispensable, as research shows that for some patients it takes only five days for dependence to set in. Patients who fully understand the risks associated with opioid medications are more likely to use them responsibly and less likely to develop misuse patterns. Adolescents, young adults and individuals who have never taken opioids before are particularly vulnerable to misuse and require clear explanations of the inherent risks of opioid pain medication. Prescriptions are often filled without prescribers and patients fully considering the availability of safe, evidence-based non-opioid pain treatment alternatives. Treatment and recovery services are essential; however, prevention remains one of the most effective tools for curbing the opioid crisis. Clear communication with patients at the start of care can help prevent future tragedies.
NY’s Assembly must pass the Opioid Patients Right to Know Act
While our state has made significant progress in curbing the opioid epidemic through expanding access to treatment, increasing naloxone distribution and strengthening prescription monitoring, we still lose more than 2,000 New Yorkers each year to overdoses. That is why it is essential that we adopt the Opioid Patients Right to Know Act without any further delay.
This legislation will strengthen the standard of care by making sure that every patient, regardless of geography or background, receives consistent, evidence-based information before beginning treatment with potentially addictive medication. This legislation achieves these objectives without creating sweeping new mandates or expensive state programs.
The Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act is not a partisan proposal. It is a practical safeguard rooted in compassion and responsibility. By strengthening communication between providers and patients, New York will take a meaningful step toward preventing addiction before it starts.
Elaine Pozycki is the founder of Prevent Opioid Abuse, a national organization working to educate patients and parents about the risks of opioid-based pain relievers and the availability of non-opioid alternatives. Chris Kelly is the executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, a nonprofit agency that provides substance use and mental health services to Long Island residents.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Opioid dependence grips too many New Yorkers. We can stop it | Opinion
Reporting by Elaine Pozycki and Chris Kelly, Special to the USA TODAY Network / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
