Mitigating the Opioid Crisis Via Abuse Deterrent Prescribing Practices: An Interview with Dr. Steven Passik (February 9th)

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Fatalities related opioid use now account for over two-thirds of all drug overdoses annually, over 60,000, in the US.  Approximately 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.  This number represents a five-time increase over the past two decades.  Opioid-related fatalities have become so prevalent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, they have caused a decrease in US life expectancy for the past two consecutive years.  (The last time life expectancy dropped was in 1993 due to the AIDS epidemic.)  While the amount of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies, hospitals and doctors has quadrupled in the recent past, Americans are reporting on reduction in the amount of pain they suffer.  (Ironically, we are over prescribed and under treated.)  To date the federal government's response to the epidemic has been poor although this past week, the Congress appropriated $6 billion, an amount experts believe beyond inadequate, over a two year period to address the crisis.   

During this 28 minute interview Dr. Passik discusses the numerous causes contributing to the opioid epidemic, policies and practices in pharmacology that may be contributing to the problem, strategies used in pharmaceutical prescribing, or in the use of abuse deterrent formulations, to reduce addiction or abuse and the role other reforms in the clinical practice setting and in reimbursement can play in reducing harm and opioid-related fatalities.  

Since 2017 Dr. Steven Passki is currently the Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Education and Policy at Collegium Pharmaceuticals.  Prior to joining Collegium, Dr. Passik was Director of Clinical Addiction and Education at Millennium Laboratories.  Prior still, he spent 25 years in academia and clinical care at Memorial Sloan Cancer Center, at the University of Kentucky and at Vanderbilt University.  His research has focused on the psychiatric aspects of cancer and non-cancer pain and symptom management and the interface of pain management and addiction.  He has served as on the editorial board of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and as a reviewer for multiple journals including The Clinical Journal of Pain.  He has been a member of several scientific and medical societies including the American Psychological Association and the American Society of Psychiatric Oncology/AIDS.  He has written extensively on the interface of pain management and addiction. He is a clinical psychologist and has areas of expertise include the general psychological aspects of cancer including palliative care and symptom management with an emphasis on pain, depression, nausea and fatigue.  Dr. Passki was named a fellow of Division 28 of the American Psychological Association (Psychopharmacology & Substance Abuse) and awarded a Mayday Fund Fellowship in Pain and Society. An author of more than 120 journal articles, 60 book chapters and 59 abstracts, he speaks nationally and internationally on pain, addiction and the pain/addiction interface.  Dr. Passik received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the New School of Social Research in New York City.

I noted during the interview Dr. Passik will be keynoting a DC-area abuse deterrent formulations meeting in March, information on the meeting is at: http://www.cbinet.com/conference/pc18298.

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