Panel Discusses Opioid Crisis

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At the opioid crisis meeting were (onstage, from l) Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, SAMHSA; Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, FDA deputy director for regulatory programs; NINDS director Dr. Walter Koroshetz; NIDA deputy director Dr. Wilson Compton; Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director; and moderator Dr. Malika Fair, senior director of health equity partnerships and programs, AAMC.

In an effort to bring together leaders and champions involved in addiction training and pain management, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) hosted a national workshop on combating the opioid crisis May 9-10 at National Harbor, Md. 

NIDA deputy director Dr. Wilson Compton and representatives from SAMHSA, NINDS, CDC and FDA discussed the state of the epidemic and what each of their agencies is doing to address different challenges within the opioid crisis. 

Topics included NIH’s HEAL Initiative, FDA’s emphasis on improved packaging of opioids and the importance of ensuring that the science in this area is implemented by clinicians as much as possible.