Rwanda avoids US-style opioids crisis by making own morphine

The emergency room at Swedish Hospital in Edmonds, Washington is working to implement more focused care for those suffering from opioid addiction, an offering not typically present at most hospitals. Using a hands-on approach that integrates "substance use disorder treatment and interventions and assessment," through the use of doctors, counselors, and social workers, this program increases the likelihood of follow through with recovery.

Proper disposal of leftover prescription medication can help prevent substance abuse. To help residents properly dispose of their medications, Trumbull County in Ohio is undertaking a campaign to distribute medication deactivation kits to senior citizens. The initiative is funded by a grant from multiple community partners. The solution uses a carbon charcoal mix that neutralizes pharmaceutical compounds, making them safe for disposal.

Throughout the country, issues of health care exclusivity and rising drug prices are being addressed with creative solutions. Innovating new medicines and medicine deliver systems, such as an alternative EpiPen, is proving to be a helpful way to work around these surging prices.

Opioid addiction has increased throughout the United States. A clinic in San Francisco has been offering an opioid replacement drug called buphrenorphine to help wean addicts away from opioids. The clinic’s success at healing addicts has served as a model for clinics in other cities around the country.

Uganda has the best quality of death among low-income countries, according to the Economic Intelligence Unit. Its success stems in part from the strictly regulated but available supply of morphine, which is distributed by pharmacists in labeled bottles.

A mother's grief and a doctor's determination led to the first syringe-exchange center in Florida – a significant first step in increasing conversation around the merits of harm reduction policies. Since opening, the center has "collected 360,000 dirty syringes, provided medical treatment to 1,200 people, and helped 200 patients detox," while also reversing 1,450 overdoses, which has prompted five other counties to lift their syringe-exchange bans.

The hub-and-spoke model allows local partners to provide individuals with access to resources earmarked specifically for opioid addiction treatment. The system of care, which uses regional clinics and non-profits as access points to treatment, has already proven effective in Vermont. Currently, a similar program is assisting individuals suffering from opioid addiction receive the help they need through entry points at nonprofits like The Doorway office at Harbor Homes.

The ProMedica Toledo Hospital increases access to healthy food for low-income families through a novel kind of pharmacy. Patients receive free produce, recipes, and guidance from a dietician on how to treat and prevent diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure while improving eating habits. The food pharmacy serves over 800 people per month, and patients feel better mentally and physically.

A man named Greg Jefferys runs a sort of online buyers club for the life-saving oral treatment for Hepatitis C. There are myriad reasons why patients are unable to obtain the drugs on their own, a few being high costs imposed by the pharmaceutical companies, and lack of governmental approval for the drug. Jefferys charges a $200 fee to get patients the 12-week course of oral pills from India that cure Hepatitis C completely.

Oral surgeons and other doctors tend to prescribe opioids to their patients following surgery, which has arguably contributed to a rising number of patients, especially those under the age of 25, developing addictions. Now, thanks to increased awareness and new protocols, doctors and dentists are prescribing fewer opioids and more non-addictive pain killers, as well as educating their patients about their prescriptions.