Policy briefs

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Useopens in new window
Released July 13, 2017, this report states that a sustained, coordinated effort is needed to stem the rising prevalence of opioid-related harms while still meeting the needs of patients with pain whose healthcare providers have prescribed these drugs responsibly. This years-long effort should include a culture change in how pain drugs are prescribed, changes in how the FDA regulates opioids, multipronged policies by state and local governments, expanded access to treatment for opioid use disorder, and investments in research to better understand the nature of pain and to develop nonaddictive alternatives.
Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forwardopens in new window
This June 2017 report says that there is encouraging but insufficient evidence to support a public health campaign focusing on cognitive training, blood pressure management for those with hypertension, and increased physical activity as a way to prevent cognitive decline and dementia. The committee that wrote the report was convened to make recommendations to inform the National Institute on Aging on public health messaging in cognitive decline and areas for future research, using the results from a systematic review of the evidence.

More about this journal