The federal government has released a new statement of drug policy priorities that outlines its approach to ending the opioid pandemic. First-year priorities are closely aligned with the American Dental Association's (ADA's) goals related to curbing opioid use:

• Expanding access to evidence-based treatment.
• Advancing racial equity in the approach to drug policy.
• Enhancing evidence-based harm reduction efforts.
• Supporting evidence-based prevention efforts to reduce youth substance use.
• Reducing the supply of illicit substances.
• Advancing recovery-ready workplaces and expanding the addiction workforce.
• Expanding access to recovery support services.

The ADA's Policy on Opioid Prescribing has been designed to combat the opioid epidemic. This important policy supports mandatory continuing education for dentists about prescribing opioids and other controlled substances. It also supports a limit on opioid dosage and duration of no more than seven days for the treatment of acute pain, as well as the utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs.

According to the ADA, this policy was adopted to guide the organization's advocacy efforts centered on the role of dental professionals in preventing opioid abuse. Click here to see the ADA's collected policies and recommendations on substance use disorders. For more information about prescription opioid abuse, visit the ADA's website about the opioid crisis.