The Opioid Crisis Agenda Comparison Grid under the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations

The Opioid Crisis Agenda Comparison Grid under the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations
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The Opioid Crisis Agenda Comparison Grid under the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations
Introduction
The opioid is a compound resembling opium in its addictive and physiological effects. In recent years, the misuse and addiction to opioids when prescribed as pain relievers has resulted in a severe national mental health crisis. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 50,000 Americans died from opioid-related complications and overdoses in 2019 (NIDA, 2020). The overdose rate of opioid is most prevalent among people aged between 25 to 34 years (Salmond & Virginia, 2019). Some of the factors that lead to opioid-related complications include the history of substance abuse, poverty, and unemployment (Dasgupta, Beletsky, & Ciccarone, 2018). The current increase in overreliance on opioid-based drugs began in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that opioid-based medications would not result in addiction cases. Today, CDC (2020) reports that opioid-related overdose deaths increased by 5% between 2018 and 2019, highlighting the prevalence of the epidemic. Therefore, the opioid crisis is a severe public health problem that requires a top position on the national agenda.
Agenda Comparison Grid
Different government administrations have provided several theoretical, political, and legislative solutions to solve the crisis. In the current paper, the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations focus on the different approaches they used to mitigate the current crisis. Table 1 below is a summary of the actions taken by each of the mentioned administrations.
Table SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: Agenda Comparison Matrix
ADMINISTRATION

OBAMA (2009 -2017)

TRUMP (2017 – 2020)

BIDEN (2021 to DATE)

Description of Administrative Agenda

Obama did not introduce any legislation concerning the crisis.
However, the administration sought the support of Congress to enhance intervention and rehabilitation programs.
Congress was responsible for allocating resources towards the effort (AAAP, 2016).
The government also empowered health workers to monitor prescriptions through education and provision of prescription management resources.
The government also funded opioid-related research, improved support of addicts, and enhanced telemedicine as a mitigation measure.

The Trump administration reported that 42,000 Americans die annually from opioid-related concerns.
In 2017, the opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency leading to the galvanization of efforts and resources (AO, 2020).
In 2018, the 'Stop Opioid Abuse' initiative was unveiled to help mitigate the crisis.
The government implemented the Safer Prescription Plans aimed at reducing prescription by 33% within three years.
In 2019, the Support Act was introduced in Congress for debate.

The president promised to end the crisis by ensuring access to effective treatment (Biden-Harris, 2020).
The Administration also aims to make Buprenorphine treatment mainstream an alternative to opioid prescriptions (Brian Mann, 2021).
The administration also stalled Trump’s administration plan that aimed at reducing prevalence.

Making Opioid Crisis a National Agenda
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