I agree completely Tammy.

One of the most significant problems that patients who need palliative care encounter is that there’s a fundamental misconception that it’s exclusively for end of life care. Many states don’t have palliative definitions codified, so palliative care agencies set their own policies and definitions which can vary widely within the state and a city.

The government would make much greater strides in addressing the overdose crisis if they were to actually focus on the Roots of Substance Use Disorder, rather than a myopic focus on prescription medication & a false narrative that medical professionals are responsible for creating the crisis.

They have long ignored the socio-economic factors, and looked for the “easy” answers that would provide the public with the illusion that they were doing “something” about the overdose crisis. This task force is a prime example. While the majority of people who taking prescribed medication who experienced fatal overdoses appeared to be people with SUD on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), they’re using intimidation tactics which will make access to MAT less accessible.

People would be better served if the funds were used for harm reduction, recovery programs, housing and other services for people with SUD instead of interfering in the practice of medicine.