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Maintaining Legitimate Access to Prescription Medications

High-quality palliative care must include timely, effective management of the distressing symptoms of serious illness. Medications, including opioid analgesics, are a critical tool in this effort. For many patients, even short delays in accessing needed medications can be devastating.

AAHPM considers the broad availability of high-quality palliative care to be of paramount importance, yet its members also recognize the need to address the scourge of prescription drug abuse. AAHPM believes it is essential, though, to strike the proper balance between reducing abuse and maintaining legitimate patient access to needed medications. This focus on balance serves as the Academy's guiding principle when it weighs in on prescribing issues. 

Federal Advocacy

Opioid analgesic scheduling and labeling have recently seen intense scrutiny from the FDA, DEA, and Congress. AAHPM is a constant voice as these institutions examine the issue, working to stress the scope and severity of legitimate need to access prescription opioids. When the administration considers a change affecting medications and is soliciting public comment, AAHPM will connect you so that your voice is heard. For background on the Academy's positions, see the Want to Know More? section on the bottom of this page.

State Advocacy

Much of the current policy action aimed at prescription drug abuse, misuse, and diversion is occurring at the state level. States determine the scope of practice, prescribing authority, and licensure requirements for practitioners, as well as devise and implement prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). In order to preserve access to medications for patients with legitimate need, AAHPM's State Issues Working Group developed guidelines for effective PDMPs. Share the guidelines with policymakers in your state, and open a dialogue about these important issues. Contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you see an opportunity to engage in your state and are looking for support.

Partnerships for Balanced Opioid Policies

AAHPM pursues opportunities to partner with other organizations to shape the broader discourse about the proper role of opioid analgesics in the treatment of pain.

Collaborative for REMS Education (CO*RE)

AAHPM is a founding member of the Collaborative for REMS Education, which represents a wide array of professionals, including primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, addiction specialists, oncologists, pain management specialists, and hospice & palliative medicine (HPM) physicians. The group has developed education addressing safe and effective opioid prescribing, appropriate use of opioid antagonists, safe storage and disposal, abuse-deterrent formulations, addiction and use disorder screening, and prescribing in special populations.

Read AAHPM's comments to the FDA on its blueprint for REMS Education.

AMA Opioid Task Force

AAHPM also serves as a member of the AMA Opioid Task Force. This group of healthcare associations is working to develop policy recommendations, clinical best practices, and educational resources to reduce the nation’s burden from opioid-related misuse, overdose and death.

Review the Task Force recommendations and resources at www.end-opioid-epidemic.org.

National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative

AAHPM Public Policy Committee co-chair, Kyle Edmonds, serves as the Academy’s representative on a Prescribing Guidelines and Evidence Standards Working Group, one of four new groups established under the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. The Collaborative is examining drivers of the opioid crisis and how to coordinate multidisciplinary, public-private responses.

Want to Know More?

To learn more about this topic, connect to opportunities to engage in advocacy, and follow along with the work of the Academy, you can: