"Biden-Harris Administration's New Actions in Overdose Prevention and Opioid Treatment"
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) commemorated two years of its Overdose Prevention Strategy by announcing new measures to combat overdoses, building on President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy has helped level off the rapid increase in overdose deaths, with historic investments leading to a decline in the overdose death rate since President Biden took office. Key actions include increased sales of naloxone products, expanded buprenorphine treatment, and nearly $8 billion in investments in programs supporting the Strategy. The HHS continues to focus on primary prevention, evidence-based treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services, with a commitment to ensuring access to recovery support services. The new actions include updates to the rule governing opioid use disorder treatment, extending flexibilities provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, and promoting the integration of harm reduction and recovery support services into Opioid Treatment Programs.