2024 AMA Overdose Epidemic Report
The American Medical Association Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force highlights progress in addressing the drug overdose epidemic, including increased harm reduction efforts, access to naloxone[…]
Reversing the Epidemic
America’s overdose epidemic has been characterized as 4 distinct and interrelated epidemics: prescription opioids, heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, and stimulants. Even though physicians have decreased prescribing of opioid analgesics, America’s patients are currently facing a drug overdose – both fatal and non-fatal – epidemic that is fueled by illicit drugs, including counterfeit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, psychostimulants, heroin, cocaine, and drug combinations.
2025 AMA Report on Substance Use and Treatment: Progress, Policy and Future Directions
“Our nation is losing tens of thousands of family members, friends and neighbors to unintentional overdose every year— more than 200 lives every day. I urge physicians, policymakers and all others to use this report to identify and commit to taking action in 2026."
– Bobby Mukkamala, MD, AMA President
AMA-Manatt 2024: Improving Access to Care Pregnant Parenting People with SUD
The American Medical Association and Manatt Health have developed recommendations for policymakers to improve access to care for pregnant and postpartum people with opioid use disorder, focusing several strategies on increasing access to care for justice-involved individuals.
AMA-Manatt Profiles in Leadership 2022
“The fight to end the nation’s overdose epidemic and restore compassionate care: Profiles in leadership.” Read more how a select group of physicians, policymakers and patient advocates exemplify proven policies and actions that help save lives and improve outcomes.
Recommendations
The nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic has changed and worsened. As a result, the AMA has united the Opioid and Pain Care Task Forces in a new, collective effort – the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force – to increase the urgency for evidence-based solutions.
Awareness
The AMA offers high-quality resources related to the use of data to shift from “response” to “prevention” of overdose, stigma, and educational opportunities for physicians and other medical professionals who seek to stay current and continuously improve the care they provide.
Physician Leadership
Physicians demonstrate leadership everyday to help their patients with a substance use disorder–or chronic pain. Learn more about physician leadership to end the epidemic.
Highlights
Physicians demonstrate leadership every day in their practice to help patients with pain and those with a substance use disorder. These are a few of their stories.
Action needed to help justice-involved individuals who have a substance use disorder
There is no legal, medical or policy reason to deny access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for justice-involved persons, according to leading medical, legal and health policy experts[…]
Drug overdose deaths decline–interview with Bobby Mukkamala, MD
Categories:
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
AMA President-elect speaks on the nation’s overdose epidemic. A video of this interview can be found here. Unger: Hello and welcome to the AMA Update video and podcast. On the heels of National[…]