NQF launches opioid stewardship initiative

The National Quality Forum earlier this month announced the creation of an Opioid Stewardship Action Team. The team will summon experts together to develop new best practices, strategies, and tactics to curb the opioid epidemic in America.

 “As an emergency medicine doctor, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects of opioid misuse on our nation’s health, and it is imperative that we all work together to address it,” said Shantanu Agrawal, MD, NQF’s president and CEO, in a press release. “This new initiative will provide those on the frontlines with essential guidance for better, safer management of patients’ pain.”

Nearly 2 million people suffer from prescription opioid disorder and the number of opioid prescriptions written annually has quadrupled in under two decades.

Along with the NQF team, there are several ongoing efforts to stop the problem, including controversial guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2016.

The team will consist of nurses, physicians, consumers, and others to build upon on current efforts to address the opioid epidemic, with a focus on improving prescribing practices. The team is being modeled after successful NQF action plans, such as NQF’s playbook on antibiotic stewardship.

Those interested in joining or supporting the Opioid Stewardship Action Team should contact the National Quality Partners at nationalqualitypartners@qualityforum.org.