A Reality Check: The Need for a Deeper Understanding of Opioid Abuse Treatment Options: A Policy Statement From the American College of Clinical Pharmacology

Most clinical pharmacologists agree that prescription drug abuse is no longer just a trending topic; it has reached epidemic levels in the United States. Although the United States makes up less than 5% of the global population, 80% of the opioids and 99% of the hydrocodone used in the world are used by people in the United States.1 Members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) are intimately involved with the development of novel drugs, many for the treatment of chronic pain. The ACCP is uniquely positioned to serve both its membership and the public by providing scientific knowledge to optimize research, development, and the utilization of medication for the benefit of all, which is the vision of the organization. This position paper asserts that increased physician, pharmacist, and scientific researcher education is the best way to create a better understanding of opioid abuse and dependence as well as its treatment. Understanding, acceptance, and the promotion of supervised treatment options such as combined psychotherapy with Suboxone treatment paradigms provide rapid and significant lifesaving options as compared to programs relying on complete abstinence. Additionally, the FDA’s recent guidances2,3 supporting the development of abuse deterrent formulations of opioids and the thorough evaluation of the potential of a new chemical entity (NCE) to be abused has been proposed to prevent the widespread tampering that currently occurs through both patient abuse and general diversion of the supply.