Abuse-deterrent technology would help stem the opioid abuse crisis

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders have passed a number of critical laws to combat the growing epidemic of heroin and opioid abuse across New York state, from improving access to the overdose-reversal medication Narcan to requiring ongoing addiction and pain management education for physicians and prescribers to eliminating certain insurance plan barriers that had prevented access to critical drug treatment medications.

While great progress has been made, more can and should be done. When thousands of lives across New York state hang in the balance, we must use every tool and technological advancement at our disposal. One such advancement is abuse-deterrent opioid technology.

But first, a primer in just how severe the opioid crisis has become across the country and here in New York.

In 2014 there were 119,000 admissions to certified substance abuse treatment programs for opioid abuse – a 20 percent increase over the previous five years. Opioid-related deaths in New York state increased 30 percent from 2009 to 2013, and now exceed deaths from motor vehicle accidents. Opioid-related emergency room visits increased 73 percent from 2010 to 2014. The examples of gut-wrenching data go on.

Against this backdrop that it becomes clear that we, indeed, should do more to combat this epidemic.

Opioid abuse-deterrent technology reduces the incidence of overdose and abuse of opioid medications by implementing physical barrier mechanisms, agonist-antagonist formulations and advanced delivery systems, all of which make it difficult to crush pills in order to snort them, or liquefy them in order to inject the medication. This function of abuse-deterrent technology is critical as it prevents the bypassing of extended-release features of opioid medications. In simpler terms, the quickest way to get high from opioids is to snort or inject them and abuse-deterrent technology greatly reduces that ability.

Not only does abuse-deterrent technology exist – it has proven to be effective. The FDA considers the development of such technology a “high public health priority.” A 2013 Journal of Pain study found that abuse of prescription opioids decreased by 66 percent after the introduction of abuse-deterrent formulations. A 2014 study published in Pain Medicine magazine found nearly $1 billion in annual cost savings, including $430 million in medical savings by reducing emergency room visits and hospitalizations, $100 million in criminal justice savings and $476 million workplace productivity savings.

Fortunately, the New York state Legislature has recognized the significance of the opioid epidemic and the proven success of abuse-deterrent technology. In 2015 and 2016, the state Senate and Assembly passed legislation enhancing patient access to FDA-approved abuse-deterrent technology by ensuring that insurance plans do not disadvantage access to such medications. This bipartisan legislation was even championed by Gov. Cuomo’s Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Abuse.

It is now up to Cuomo to build upon the progress the state has made in the fight against opioid abuse. One clear way would be for him to join the medical professionals, patient advocates, law enforcement officials and substance prevention, treatment and recovery service providers who support abuse-deterrent technology and sign this legislation into law.

Gay Hartigan is the COO of Liberty Behavioral Management Group – a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers – and vice president of Arms Acres and Conifer Park inpatient addiction treatment facility.