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National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Starts The Year With Good News For Alternative Care For Opioid Addiction

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker talks about the trend among medical schools and medical researchers to focus on nonpharmacological treatments for pain, which has positive implications for the opioid crisis.

ROCKVILLE, MD. February 10, 2020: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “More Medical Educators And Researchers Explore Alternatives To Opioids For Pain,” in which Dr. Rosa offers a look at the positive strides being made.

Dr. Rosa admits, “All too often I write about the heartbreaking, heinous and important statistics associated with the opioid epidemic.” He continues adding, “However, I’m going to kick this New Year and new decade off by sharing some good news that is coming out of our medical colleges which will have a positive effect on the opioid crisis in years to come.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “The fact is that a greater number of medical educators and researchers are increasingly exploring nonpharmacological treatments for pain. The trend seems to be growing in medical colleges across the country in response to the growing opioid crisis.” He further elaborates, “More and more attention is being given to Integrative Medicine which involves instruction in how to care for patients suffering from chronic pain with reductions in or without the use of opioids. And that is great news.”

“Health institutions across the board are joining in on the effort to help curtail and put an end to the opioid addiction in this country,” writes Dr. Rosa. “For instance,” he says, “in 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a cross-divisional effort called the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.” He offers, “The objective of HEAL is to focus on “evidence-based treatments for opioid misuse and addiction, as well as more innovative solutions for pain management.” This initiative also includes research on “health approaches outside the boundaries of conventional medicine.” Dr. Rosa adds, “This shift in focus has accelerated the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a division of NIH, to accelerate its own research into nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain.”

Read the entire article at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/more-medical-educators-and-researchers-explore-alternatives-to-opioids-for-pain/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Dr. Rosa is the Owner/manager of 14 health clinics in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas concentrating on musculoskeletal injuries of acute, subacute and chronic nature. He oversees the Integrative Medicine practice group which includes general medicine, Chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year.

Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating college, professional and Olympic athletes. Creator of 24/7 RnR (Relief and aiding Recovery) an FDA approved analgesic cream. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and clinic management.

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

More Medical Educators And Researchers Explore Alternatives To Opioids For Pain

By Dr. John Rosa

Pain Relief Without Opioids IS Possible

All too often I write about the heartbreaking, heinous and important statistics associated with the opioid epidemic. However, I’m going to kick this New Year and new decade off by sharing some good news that is coming out of our medical colleges which will have a positive effect on the opioid crisis in years to come.

A Conscious Move Toward Caring For Chronic Pain Without Opioids

The fact is that a greater number of medical educators and researchers are increasingly exploring nonpharmacological treatments for pain. The trend seems to be growing in medical colleges across the country in response to the growing opioid crisis. More and more attention is being given to Integrative Medicine which involves instruction in how to care for patients suffering from chronic pain with reductions in or without the use of opioids. And that is great news.

Heightened Research Into Nonpharmacological Treatments For Chronic Pain

Health institutions across the board are joining in on the effort to help curtail and put an end to the opioid addiction in this country. For instance, in 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a cross-divisional effort called the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative. The objective of HEAL is to focus on “evidence-based treatments for opioid misuse and addiction, as well as more innovative solutions for pain management.” This initiative also includes research on “health approaches outside the boundaries of conventional medicine.” This shift in focus has accelerated the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a division of NIH, to accelerate its own research into nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain.

Alternative Therapies Are Popular But Not Yet Mainstream In Medical Care

Massage, yoga and acupuncture are some of the health therapies that have been around for thousands of years. These methods have certainly become popular with a multitude of Americans, yet, they have not been embraced into mainstream medical care here in the U.S. I am happy to report that that too is changing as more doctors are not only acknowledging, but also prescribing chiropractic, as well as massage and yoga for a variety of health issues.

Complementary And Integrative Medicine (CIM) Getting Stronger But Still Hurdles

Just before the turn of the century, back in 1999, the first meeting of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine was held. Representatives from eight academic institutions attended. Now as we are entering the second decade of the 2000’s the consortium includes more than 70 academic institutions and health systems in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The progress toward a more integrative approach is uplifting, yet there are still hurdles. A big one is getting insurance companies to cover these therapies.

Insurance Currently Pays For Some But Not All Alternative Therapies

If demand is what compels change, then we may be seeing more insurance coverage for alternative healing therapies eventually. As it is, “four out of ten U.S. adults go outside the health system to use complementary, natural or alternative therapies. Some 600 million visits to these practitioners are made each year (which surpasses that made to conventional medical practitioners), and patients pay an estimated $30 billion out of their own pockets for such non-traditional care per year.”

The good news is that there is some insurance coverage for alternative therapies such as chiropractic visits and acupuncture. While the prevalence is nowhere near that of conventional treatments it is a hopeful sign. Perhaps the opioid epidemic will push the medical profession further in their acceptance of alternative treatments.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Writes About A Effective, Pill-Free Method To Manage Lower Back Pain

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker shares how Chiropractic changed his integrative medical practice by allowing him to offer a drug-free and effective alternative to pain management.

ROCKVILLE, MD. February 3, 2020: Owner of Accessible Beltway Clinics and opioid crises expert, Dr. John Rosa, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “A Highly Accessible Method Effective In Managing Lower Back Pain Without Opioids,” in which Dr. Rosa reveals how the root of chronic lower back pain is missed by many doctors.

Referring back to the title of his blog, Dr. Rosa writes, “I am referring to chiropractic care.” He continues elaborating, “Chiropractic is a drug-free approach to pain relief and pain management. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends the use of non-invasive, drug-free treatments such as Chiropractic care, first for chronic and acute lower back pain. Additionally, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) encourages patients to seek conservative care, like drug-free chiropractic, before moving on to potentially addictive remedies for pain.”

As Dr. Rosa points out, “The introduction of integrative medicine, specifically chiropractic, has been a game changer for my practice.” He adds, “In years past when someone would come to my office with acute and chronic back pain, opioids were part of the possible relief mechanisms considered. However, I now have an alternative from day one resulting in a non-opioid medicine protocol and possibly even no meds of any kind at all.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of opioid dependency. Lower back pain is also very difficult to treat because it can be hard to identify and eliminate the cause.” “Thus,” he adds, “many doctors prescribe pain killers to provide comfort to their patients while the actual problem remains unsolved.” Dr. Rosa states, “Chiropractors, however, can actually identify the root cause of lower back pain. Often lower back pain is caused by issues in our feet, ankles, knees, or hips.”

Read the entire blog at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/a-highly-accessible-method-effective-in-managing-lower-back-pain-without-opioids/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

A Highly Accessible Method Effective In Managing Lower Back Pain Without Opioids

By Dr. John Rosa

I want to talk about chiropractic care.

Chiropractic is a drug-free approach to pain relief and pain management. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends the use of non-invasive, drug-free treatments such as Chiropractic care, first for chronic and acute lower back pain. Additionally, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) encourages patients to seek conservative care, like drug-free chiropractic, before moving on to potentially addictive remedies for pain.

Integrative Medicine Approach

The introduction of integrative medicine, specifically chiropractic, has been a game changer for my practice. In years past when someone would come to my office with acute and chronic back pain, opioids were part of the possible relief mechanisms considered. However, I now have an alternative from day one resulting in a non-opioid medicine protocol and possibly even no meds of any kind at all.

Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of opioid dependency. Lower back pain is also very difficult to treat because it can be hard to identify and eliminate the cause. Thus, many doctors prescribe pain killers to provide comfort to their patients while the actual problem remains unsolved. Chiropractors, however, can actually identify the root cause of lower back pain. Often lower back pain is caused by issues in our feet, ankles, knees, or hips.

Help For Chronic Back Pain

Most chronic back pain is due to some form of musculoskeletal weakness or structural imbalance. Given that the feet are the foundation of the body, an imbalance in one or both of the feet causes problems throughout the entire kinetic chain of the body, with particular stress on the lower back. Chiropractors are trained to examine all body mechanics from the feet to the skull and all too frequently, the problem is created or exacerbated from somewhere other than the low back. It has become too easy to prescribe something for pain over taking the time to discover the pains’ origins. Medication will mask symptoms temporarily but at no time will it find and fix a problem.

Lower back pain is a common problem that can be alleviated with an uncommon approach. Stop the pills and schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. It could change your life. It could even save your life by preventing you from becoming another opioid overdose statistic.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Writes About And To The War-Torn Families Of The Opioid War

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker reveals that nearly twice as many Americans have died as a result of opioids than died in WWII. He suggests that we are fighting an internal war in this country and that death by opioids is much bigger than a crisis or an epidemic.

ROCKVILLE, MD. December 30, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “Some Americans Will Suffer Holidays That Feels As War-Torn As 1941,” in which Dr. Rosa reveals staggering death tolls.

Dr. Rosa states, “As I write this article on the anniversary of the U.S. involvement in WWII, I can’t help but recognize that our country is in the midst of another and perhaps equally deadly war.” He continues, “We are in an internal conflict that has, in an 18-year span, killed more Americans than those who lost their lives in that not-so-distant war.”

“Most people refer to the war I’m talking about as an epidemic,” writes Dr. Rosa. He states, “An epidemic is an illness. I’m suggesting that it is the Opioid War not merely a crisis or an epidemic.”

“Over 405,000 heroic Americans gave their lives in WWII,” Dr. Rosa reminds readers. He goes on to add, “In the past 18 years almost twice as many Americans have lost their lives in a war the majority of them did not know they were entering. A war started by pharmaceutical companies and cultivated by our medical industry.” He reports, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Drug overdose deaths continue to increase in the United States. From 1999 to 2017, more than 702,000 people have died from a drug overdose. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid.”

Dr. Rosa recognizes that, “Addiction is nothing new. It’s as old as civilization.” “And,” he says, “fighting the distribution of illegal drugs in the U.S. is nothing new. We have fought South American drug lords and Mexican Drug Cartels. We even had a real live shoot out that started the Miami Drug War in a Dade county mall in 1979.” He further adds, “Those wars were waged between people from other countries to protect the citizens of our country. But,” he emphasizes, “we’ve never had to fight such an intense and powerful, money motivated American drug lord.”

Read the entire article at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/some-americans-will-suffer-holidays-that-feels-as-war-torn-as-1941/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

Some Americans Will Suffer Holidays That Feels As War-Torn As 1941

By Dr. John Rosa

The US is involved in a deadly conflict.

As I write this article on the anniversary of the U.S. involvement in WWII, I can’t help but recognize that our country is in the midst of another and perhaps equally deadly war. We are in an internal conflict that has, in an 18-year span, killed more Americans than those who lost their lives in that not-so-distant war.

Most people refer to the war I’m talking about as an epidemic. An epidemic is an illness. I’m suggesting that it is the Opioid War not merely a crisis or an epidemic.

Past And Current War Figures

Over 405,000 heroic Americans gave their lives in WWII. In the past 18 years almost twice as many Americans have lost their lives in a war the majority of them did not know they were entering. A war started by pharmaceutical companies and cultivated by our medical industry. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Drug overdose deaths continue to increase in the United States. From 1999 to 2017, more than 702,000 people have died from a drug overdose. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid.”

External Wars Easier Than Internal Wars

Addiction is nothing new. It’s as old as civilization. And fighting the distribution of illegal drugs in the U.S. is nothing new. We have fought South American drug lords and Mexican Drug Cartels. We even had a real live shoot out that started the Miami Drug War in a Dade county mall in 1979. Those wars were waged between people from other countries to protect the citizens of our country. But, we’ve never had to fight such an intense and powerful, money motivated American drug lord.

Addiction Is Not A Moral Weakness

With addiction being woven into the human condition, it helps to look a little more closely at it since it is now so common. According to an opinion piece at thehill.com by Mitchell S. Rosenthal, M.D. the founder and president of the Rosenthal Center for Addiction Studies, “Addiction is an unexpected trap. It often begins innocently enough—with prescription painkillers after a back operation, perhaps, or a line of coke snorted for fun at a party. External factors – poverty and social misery, personal hardships and peer pressure to conform – can influence the desire to experiment with powerful, mind-altering and physically harmful substances. Nobody is immune, as we have seen the opioid crisis ensnare young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural residents and people of all races and ethnicities.”

Dr. Rosenthal, who has more than 50 years of experience treating substance abuse says, “What I know is that addiction is not a moral failing.” This is a point that in my opinion needs to be repeated continuously. Dr. Rosenthal explains the addiction process, “It happens when the morphine molecule—the essential component of all opiates—or other drug initiates a chemical process that rewires the neural networks in the brain and renders the user a partial captive of the drug.” This makes it clear that anyone is susceptible to becoming addicted to highly addictive opioids. He goes on to add, “We have the tools and resources – through education, prevention, law enforcement, and most importantly treatment – and the awareness to help those with substance-abuse disorder. But in order to be successful we must commit to a coherent, compassionate and well-funded national anti-drug strategy on a scale equivalent to the enormity of the drug problem itself.”

Politicians Motivated To Keep The War Waging

So far the enormity of the problem has not outgrown the profit potential. With individual companies within the pharmaceutical industry spending millions ($194.3 million as of 10/24/2018) lobbying to influence politicians to favor their industries, it’s easy to see that we are in a war between greed and good will. There really doesn’t seem to be any doubt at the moment about who’s going to win. Clearly, greed is winning out over the true care of our citizens.

While there may be little to be cheerful about this holiday season for hundreds of thousands of American families who have already been devastated and likely destroyed by this war at the very least we can wish these families some momentary peace and good will.

Thoughts Of Peace And Kindness

Even though for many this holiday season there will be sorrow and dismay I pray that they will find a quiet moment to reflect on the sanctity of life. Let’s all find that quiet moment this holiday season and pray for all those who suffer. Sometimes good thoughts for those who you don’t know helps those who need it the most. Be kind to one another and yourself.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Writes About How Unhappy The Holidays Must Be For Those Families Affected By Opioids

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker, recognizes the efforts of the families who have suffered the loss of loved ones to opioids and acknowledges that holidays will never be as bright for these families.

ROCKVILLE, MD. December 20, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “Unhappy Holiday For 400,000 Families Who Had A Member Die Of Opioid Overdose,” in which Dr. Rosa makes a holiday wish for all those who suffer.

Dr. Rosa states, “Every year there are more families whose lives are adversely affected by opioids.” He continues adding, “Loved ones who have died from overdoses or loved ones who are addicted to them do not make any holiday season bright and cheerful. The sad fact is that more than 400,000 people have died as a result of the opioid epidemic and more than 2.6 millions Americans are currently addicted.”

“To the friends, families and loved ones of those who have died or are addicted,” writes Dr. Rosa, “my heart goes out to you even more during the holiday season. I can’t truly imagine how heartbreaking it must be to have lost a child or a spouse or a parent so needlessly.”

Dr. Rosa goes on to add, “To all of those who suffer, I am continuously working to help rein in the suffering associated with this man-made epidemic. I am tireless in my efforts to promote pill-free methods for controlling pain after surgeries and accidents. I am consistent in helping to bring awareness to the fact that those who become addicted are not morally weak or inept in any way shape or form.”

Read the entire blog at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/unhappy-holiday-for-400000-families-who-had-a-member-die-of-opioid-overdose/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

Unhappy Holiday For 400,000 Families Who Had A Member Die Of Opioid Overdose

By Dr. John Rosa

Every year there are more families whose lives are adversely affected by opioids.

Loved ones who have died from overdoses or loved ones who are addicted to them do not make any holiday season bright and cheerful. The sad fact is that more than 400,000 people have died as a result of the opioid epidemic and more than 2.6 millions Americans are currently addicted.

To the friends, families and loved ones of those who have died or are addicted, my heart goes out to you even more during the holiday season. I can’t truly imagine how heartbreaking it must be to have lost a child or a spouse or a parent so needlessly.

To all of those who suffer, I am continuously working to help rein in the suffering associated with this man-made epidemic. I am tireless in my efforts to promote pill-free methods for controlling pain after surgeries and accidents. I am consistent in helping to bring awareness to the fact that those who become addicted are not morally weak or inept in any way shape or form.

I admire those families who’ve lost loved ones who stand up and are tireless in their efforts to bring those responsible for creating and irresponsibly marketing and distributing the deadly opioid drugs to justice. I recognize how often their efforts can seem futile especially fighting those who’ve made billions of dollars on the death and destruction of unsuspecting and innocent people.

A Holiday Wish

My wish for all of you this holiday season is that you continue to stay strong, to let your love for the one(s) you’ve lost lead you forward. And perhaps your experience can help someone else say no to a doctor that prescribes opioids for pain relief. Perhaps your experience will inspire someone to seek out alternative, healthy methods to pain relief.

Let’s all find a quiet moment this holiday season and pray for all those who suffer. Sometimes good thoughts for those you don’t know helps those who need it the most. Be kind to one another and yourself.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Looks Back Over The Year Highlighting Events Related To The Opioid Crisis

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker reviews some of the events that made the news regarding the opioid crisis in the United States which involve deaths, arrests and lap dances.

ROCKVILLE, MD. December 9, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crisis expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “2019 Has Been A Busy Year For Everyone Involved In The Opioid Crisis,” in which Dr. Rosa reviews some of the highlights.

“Looking back over the year,” says Dr. Rosa, “and taking in all that has happened regarding the epidemic that has come to be known in the U.S. as the opioid crisis, all I can say is that it has been a very busy year.” He continues adding, “I hope that we have made some headway, and I do believe we have, in curtailing the distribution through doctor prescribed sources. Next comes the challenge of curtailing availability over the Internet.”

Dr. Rosa states, “I’m providing a review of some of the year’s highlights and pray that next year sees greater strides being made toward bringing the tremendous sufferings and tragedies caused by this treatment created just for use by those suffering from the unbearable pain of cancer to an end.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “The beginning of the year brought tragic news. For the very first time on record the odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the U.S. was greater than the odds of dying in an auto accident.”

He goes on to add that, “In the spring of this year, five executives from Insys Therapeutics, a company that makes a version of the deadly opioid fentanyl called Subsys, were found guilty of bribing doctors to prescribe the opioid to people who didn’t need it.” He writes, “There appears to have been “lap dances” involved in the bribery scheme.”

On a cautionary note, Dr. Rosa warns, “While the opioid prescribing habits of doctors has decreased slightly, we need to be careful the pendulum doesn’t swing too far. People who have been on opioids for several years are now being denied their medication causing them to hit the streets and we all know how that story ends. The prescribing habits need to decrease not slightly but substantially for any new patient prescriptions while those who are dependent are slowly decreased in opioid strength over time.”

Read the entire article at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/2019-has-been-a-busy-year-for-everyone-involved-in-the-opioid-crisis/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

2019 Has Been A Busy Year For Everyone Involved In The Opioid Crisis

By Dr. John Rosa

2019 has been a busy year in the fight against opioids.

Looking back over the year and taking in all that has happened in the epidemic that has come to be known in the U.S. as the opioid crisis, all I can say is that it has been a very busy year. I hope that we have made some headway, and I do believe we have, in curtailing the distribution through doctor prescribed sources. Next comes the challenge of curtailing availability over the Internet.

I’m providing a review of some of the year’s highlights and pray that next year sees greater strides being made toward bringing the tremendous sufferings and tragedies caused by this treatment created just for use by those suffering from the unbearable pain of cancer to an end.

January 14, 2019

The beginning of the year brought tragic news. For the very first time on record the odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the U.S. was greater than the odds of dying in an auto accident.

Those findings from the National Safety Council are actually considered preventable injury and fatality statistics. Meaning that they are not “accidents.” An overdose or an automobile accident is often described as an “accident” as if it could not have been prevented. But the fact is that overdoses as well as many vehicle crashes are the result of careless behavior. According to a spokeswoman for The NSC, “The Council calculates the Odds of Dying not to scare Americans but to empower them to make safer decisions and improve their chances of longevity.”

May 2, 2019

In the spring of this year, five executives from Insys Therapeutics, a company that makes a version of the deadly opioid fentanyl called Subsys, were found guilty for bribing doctors to prescribe the opioid to people who didn’t need it. According to what an FBI agent told CNN, “These executives exploited vulnerable patients and cashed in on dishonest doctors by bribing them to prescribe one of the most powerful, addictive opioid painkillers to patients who should never have received it.” There appears to have been “lap dances” involved in the bribery scheme.

Subsys is a rapid-onset opioid intended only for cancer patients with intense breakthrough pain. Prosecutors said the defendants conspired from May 2012 to December 2015 to bribe doctors, including many who ran pain clinics, to give the drug to patients who should never have received it. The drug is about 100 times more powerful than morphine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The opioid epidemic has killed nearly 400,000 Americans since 1999.”

July 17, 2019

Opioid prescribing has dropped since the CDC issued opioid prescribing guidelines in early 2016, which resulted both in doctors prescribing fewer opioids as well as insurers providing less coverage for opioids. Even so a CDC spokesperson told CNN, “There’s certainly nothing to celebrate because even with the slight reduction we’re still experiencing an enormous death toll.” However, it is the first time in 25 years there’s been a decline instead of an incline in the number of deaths.

September 15, 2019

With the change of season, came some long-awaited big news. We saw the company primarily being held responsible for creating the opioid epidemic file for bankruptcy. Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy as part of a $10 billion agreement to settle opioid lawsuits including settlements with 24 state attorneys general, five US territories and attorneys in multi-district litigation.

September 30, 2019

The end of September wraps up with the FDA And DEA announcing that they “sent warnings to four online networks, operating a total of 10 websites, which are illegally marketing unapproved and misbranded versions of opioid medicines, including tramadol.”

A Newsworthy Year with Words of Caution

While the opioid prescribing habits of doctors has decreased slightly we need to be careful the pendulum doesn’t swing too far. People who have been on opioids for several years are now being denied their medication causing them to hit the streets and we all know how that story ends. The prescribing habits need to decrease not slightly but substantially for any new patient prescriptions while those who are dependent are slowly decreased in opioid strength over time.

Another word of caution is that while the overdose deaths are showing a slight decrease in the hardest hit counties and states across the country the addiction/dependency/usage rate has not decreased. With an 500% increase in Narcan (the overdose reversal drug) distribution, a decrease in death is expected but we stills need to stop people from becoming addicted in the first place.

Without question it has been a newsworthy year in dealing with the opioid epidemic and positive change is welcome news. I am thankful for the progress made and am looking forward to even greater progress to be made in the coming year.