What Nurse Practitioners Can Do in the Opioid Crisis?

Our country continues to face a serious opioid CRISIS and we wanted to share this article by NY colleague, Dr. Stephen Ferrera who states, it requires a multi-pronged approach to end the abuse. Another is an article by NPs in Tennessee who took Action to help stop the abuse in infants born addicted to drugs. I'm certain every NPs knows of someone who fell victim to opioids.

As Florida NPs were the very last in the nation to gain prescribing DEA privledges, we watched as non prescribers of these drugs and fought to stop the opioid crisis that unfolded rapidly in our state. We were horrified to see our state become known as the Oxycodone Express. Thanks to effective legislative efforts in the past couple years, that stream has been greatly curtailed, but it's still vital that all NPs seek additional support & resources and focus on staying current on the problem to combat this crisis. NP education already prepares us to effectively and safely prescribe all medications including opioids. NPs are keenly aware of the horrors of bad prescribing or illegal access. We must make every effort to take the right steps to ensure that all FL ARNPS who prescribe opioids insure patients are not compromised or harmed by inapproriate use. We encourage you to stay updated on the law, use the CE opportunities (AANP CE Center a great resource), and be involved. FNPN asks, what can you do to help stop the Opioid Crisis? With over 20 thousand NPs in Florida, we can help end this crisis now!