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Virginia Capitol C onnections, Summer 2016
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The problem had become, and remains,
glaring. The community had witnessed
an unprecedented rise of deaths due to
heroin and opioid abuse from 2011-2014.
According to a newspaper account, 33
deaths were attributed to opioid overdoses
in Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah,
and Warren counties and the City of
Winchester alone in 2014. Statewide
statistics are likewise staggering, with
4,036 recorded opioid-related deaths in
the Commonwealth from 2007 to 2015,
according to Virginia Department of Health data. A meaningful
response was clearly needed to protect the public.
Following a May 2014 community heroin summit inWinchester,
the non-profit Northern Shenandoah Valley Substance Abuse
Coalition (NSVSAC) was formed with strong public and private
sector support to address this growing epidemic. NSVSAC is a
collaborative effort. It involves law enforcement, health care,
substance abuse treatment, youth advocacy organizations, and
families impacted by substance abuse and addiction. Winchester-
based Valley Health System has been one of the key funders of the
coalition, along with the Winchester City Council, the Frederick
County Board of Supervisors, and the Clarke County Board of
Supervisors. In May, the United Way of the Northern Virginia
ShenandoahValley presented NSVAC a $25,000 check to support the
treatment of participants in a local Drug Treatment Court program
that will begin in July.
In addition to community partners, health care providers are
intently focused on combating the devastation of this crisis. One
example of that effort is a successful webinar hosted by the Virginia
Hospital & Healthcare Association’s (VHHA) Virginia Hospital
Research & Education Foundation (VHREF). The webinar—
“The Addiction Crisis: A Community’s Response”—highlighted
NSVSAC’s work and other strategies for responding to the opioid
epidemic, and featured commentary from a range of state and local
officials with subject matter expertise. Approximately 600 people
participated in the webinar, which is now available for online
viewing.
VHHA is also working with members and stakeholders to
address the opioid crisis. VHHA’s Board of Directors established
an opioid task force in January 2016, and charged it with
examining ways to reduce opioid abuse with a focus on emergency
room prescribing practices. The task force—which featured
representatives from VHHA-member organizations, the Virginia
College of Emergency Physicians, and the
Virginia Chapter of the American Academy
of Emergency Physicians—developed a set
of 14 recommendations to help guide Virginia
hospital emergency departments in setting
general standards for prescribing opioids.
Many Virginia hospitals and health systems
have already developed internal standards
that are complemented by these overarching
guidelines.
Beyond Virginia’s health care providers,
public officials at the local, state, and federal
levels have also responded to the problem. In
2014, Governor Terry McAuliffe formed the
Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug
and Heroin Abuse to improve public safety
and public health. Meanwhile, Attorney
General Mark Herring’s office spearheaded the powerful “Heroin:
The Hardest Hit” documentary about the opioid epidemic and its
effect on Virginians. Released in 2015, the documentary examines
the epidemic from several angles by featuring Virginians sharing
their own stories of addiction, testimony from parents who have lost
their children to opioid overdose, and insights from law enforcement
and public health officials working to tackle this challenge. Since its
premiere, the film has been viewed online more than 57,000 times.
Also, the Virginia General Assembly and members of Congress have
each worked to approve bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing
the opioid crisis.
Platforms like Drug Free Virginia and the “Sink or Swim”
campaign also play a critical role in combating opioid abuse by
providing tools and resources to build awareness of the dangers of
drug misuse. The campaign website features real-life testimonials,
drug facts, and information on how to dispose of drugs.
National chain pharmacies like Rite Aid, Kroger,Walgreens, and
CVS are also involved in anti-abuse efforts. Rite Aid has trained
more than 8,400 pharmacists on how to dispense naloxone, an opioid
overdose reversal drug, and currently dispenses the drug without a
prescription. Kroger, Walgreens, and CVS also dispense naloxone
without a prescription. In Virginia, Governor McAuliffe has teamed
up with CVS Health to underscore the availability of naloxone.
Starting this fall, more than 60 medical schools, 50 pharmacy
schools, and nearly 200 nursing schools will require students to take
some form of prescriber education to graduate. Virginia schools that
have signed onto this initiative include Hampton University, James
Madison University, Old Dominion University, Radford University,
and Virginia Commonwealth University.
As with any evolving health challenge, collaboration is critical
to success. Hospitals will continue to partner with community and
government allies, continue to serve the public, and continue to
innovate in pursuit of solutions. It is encouraging to see the public
and private sectors step forward in response to this crisis. Investing
in reducing barriers to treatment for substance abuse disorders will
help enable healthcare providers, including Virginia’s hospitals and
health systems, to combat this epidemic.
The numbers are staggering. The magnitude of the problem is
distressing. Lives are at stake. Together, we can combat this crisis.
A veteran health care leader, Tracey A. van Marcke is Executive
Director of the Virginia Hospital Research & Education
Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Virginia Hospital &
Healthcare Association that is focused on improving the health
of Virginia through collaboration, research and education for
Virginia’s hospitals and health systems.
Legislative Counsel
John G. “Chip” Dicks
FutureLaw, LLC
1802 Bayberry Court, Suite 403
Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804) 225-5507 (Direct Dial)
(804) 225-5508 (Fax)
Opioid Crisis Inspires Community,
Health Care, Government Collaboration
By Tracey A. van Marcke
V