walden nurs6050 advocacy response 2

Health policies are established to support patient care and protect their safety. According to Stevens, in order to improve patient outcomes, new knowledge needs to be

translated into clinically useful types efficiently applied throughout the entire care team with all program contacts, and measured in terms of meaningful impact on results

and health outcomes (2013). Implementing evidence-based safety practices are difficult and need strategies that address the complexity of a system of care, individual

practitioners, senior leadership, and ultimately change in healthcare cultures to be evidenced-based safety practice environment (Titler, M., 2013). It has long been known that public healthpolicy, in

the form of laws, regulations, and guidelines, has a profound effect on health status. (Brownson, Chrisui, and Stamatakus, 2009).

As we know opioid abuse has been a continuing problem causing millions of deaths over the years. The miss-use and addiction continues to rise. On

October 24, 2018, President Trump signed into policy/law, The Substance Use Disorder Prevention Act that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for patients. This

policy/law was passed by both the Senate and the House. The Act is intended to help with the opioid epidemic by including treatment, prevention, recovery, and

enforcement (Musumeci & Tolbert, 2018). This new policy helps states provide coverage and service to people who have Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and especially helps

those in need of opioid treatment. Working in the hospital I have seen a decrease in the use of opioids.

The hospitals that I work for, MS Contin has been completely eliminated from our Pyxis. The support act now requires that states have drug utilization review safety edits

in place for refills, monitor concurrent prescribing opioids and other drugs, and monitor antipsychotic prescribing being four children (Musumeci & Tolbert, 2018). Now

Medicaid providers check prescription drug monitor programs before prescribing. I agree having a closer eye and being more restrictive on controlled substances will

benefit the public making it harder to obtain. Hopefully, the result will be that the opioids only going to the people who actually need them. I personally have seen a

dramatic change in the decreased amount of prescriptions written for opioids.

References:

Brownson, R., Chriqui, J., and Stamatakis, K.(2009) American Journal of Public Health. Understanding Evidence-Based Public Health Policy.

Musumeci, M. and Tolbert, J. (2018) Medicaid. Federal Legislation to Address the Opioid Crisis: Medicaid Provisions in the Support Act. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org

Stevens, K. (2013). The Online Journal of Issuers in Nursing. The Impact of Evidenced-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas. 18:4;4.DOI:

10.3912/OJIN.Vol18No02Man04

Titler, M. (2013) NCBI. Chapter 7. The Evidence-Based Practice Implementation. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2659/N