Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has been recognized as one of only four states to make significant progress in confronting the challenge of opioid addiction. In a new report by the National Safety Council, Prescription Nation 2016: Addressing America's Drug Epidemic, Vermont is credited with meeting five of six key indicators of progress. "We’re reminded every day of the challenges we face when it comes to confronting opiate addiction in Vermont,” Governor Peter Shumlin said. “This is a good reminder of the progress we have made and the work that remains.”
"I'm gratified that our comprehensive approach to the challenge of opioid overdose and addiction is gaining national recognition," said Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD. "All told, these efforts represent the commitment of many and, working collectively, our best chance to make progress."
Vermont requires providers to have prescriber education to help them make well-informed decisions on medical treatment, carefully weighing the benefits and risks of opioids and their alternatives (Key indicator #1).
Vermont has adopted prescribing guidelines that encourage physicians to incorporate alternative non-opioid treatments for pain, and provide the lowest effective doses and the fewest number of pills when prescribing opioid medications (Key indicator #2).
The Vermont Prescription Drug Monitoring System, a statewide electronic database of all controlled substance prescriptions dispensed to Vermont patients, has been operational since January 2009 (Key indicator #3). VPMS is a tool used to promote appropriate use of controlled substances and deter misuse, abuse and diversion, and to monitor statewide trends in prescribing, dispensing and use of controlled substances.
Vermont has a statewide system to distribute naloxone (Narcan®), the life-saving opioid antagonist that reverses an opioid overdose with no negative side effects (Key indicator #4). This summer, the Health Department will start providing overdose rescue kits to any EMS or law enforcement agencies that want to carry the kits.
Through the Care Alliance for Opioid Addiction Hub & Spoke model, Vermont has expanded the availability of medication-assisted treatment (Key indicator #5). In 2015, more than 4,800 people were provided treatment, up from 2,867 in 2013. Vermont, Maine and New Mexico were the only states judged to have buprenorphine treatment capacity sufficient to meet the needs in the state.
Vermont has not, by law, eliminated "pill mills". Pill mills are doctor's offices, clinics or health care facilities that routinely prescribes controlled substances outside the scope of standard medical practice (Key indicator #6). There is no indication that pill mills are present in Vermont.
Act 173, the omnibus opioid bill passed this year by the Vermont Legislature strengthens many of the systems already in place. The Act extends mandatory prescriber education to pharmacists and expands the role of pharmacists, authorizes the health commissioner to make rules guiding the prescription of opiates to treat pain, guarantees payment for telemedicine used to treat substance abuse disorder, and creates a mechanism to fund extensive public education and provider outreach concerning the appropriate use, storage and disposal of controlled substances.
Source: 7.11.2016