i_opioidsubstance_2017a_2017-07-10t09:09:20z2 Hearing Summary
Date: 07/10/2017
Location: RM 271
Origins and Scope of the Problem: United States
OPIOID AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
| Votes: View--> | Action Taken: |
| <none> | <none> |
09:19 AM -- Origins and Scope of the Problem: United States
Dr. Robert Valuck, Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention (consortium), presented an overview of the substance use problem in the United States and distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment B). Dr. Valuck defined important terms related to substance use and misuse for the committee. He provided statistics on common substance use disorders in the U.S., including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, and opioid use disorders.
17Opioid0710AttachB.pdf
09:37 AM
Dr. Valuck responded to a question regarding negative consequences for various substance use. He provided statistics on misuse of substances and overdose deaths in the U.S., and explained the increase in overdose deaths over time. Dr. Valuck responded to questions regarding the production of heroin and synthetic opioids outside of the U.S.
09:54 AM
Dr. Valuck discussed different examples of opioid misuse. He responded to a question regrading treatment of an opioid use disorders. He provided statistics on the cost of substance use disorders on the U.S. economy, including health care costs, criminal justice costs, and lost productivity. Dr. Valuck explained the cost-benefit ratio for evidence-based substance use disorder treatments, and described the treatment gap for substance use disorders in the U.S.
10:08 AM
Dr. Valuck gave an overview of the use of substances throughout history, including the recent history of opioid use in the U.S. He responded to a question regarding genetic predisposition to substance use disorders, and lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for false advertising concerning the use and safety of opioid medicines.
10:23 AM
Dr. Valuck explained the process for obtaining prescription opioids and gave statistics on U.S. opioid use compared to other countries. He explained that non-medical opioid use and heroin use are linked. Dr. Valuck gave examples of risk factors for substance misuse, including biology and genetics, environment, and brain mechanism. He responded to a questions about the role of gender and substance misuse.
10:35 AM
Dr. Valuck concluded his presentation and responded to questions regarding patient dependence on opioid addiction treatments and the cost of medication to treat opioid addiction.