On addressing the opioid epidemic with targeted programs and policy change. Carri Casteel, Director of the Occupational Injury Prevention Program, with colleagues from the UI Injury Prevention Research Center gathered a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders across Iowa to identify policy and program priorities to address prescription opioid concerns in Iowa. The priorities were presented to a legislative interim study committee tasked with evaluating Iowa’s response to the opioid epidemic (October 2017) and presented at a Congressional briefing in Washington D.C. (February 2018). Dr. Casteel, with Mr. Kevin Techau of the Office of the U.S. District Attorney of Iowa (formerly), wrote an op-ed describing the priorities for Iowa and were interviewed by media including the Associated Press and Iowa Public Radio. Efforts in Iowa, including ours, contributed to the passage of HF2377 in 2018, which set regulations for prescribing practices, use of the Prescription Monitoring Program and included a Good Samaritan Law.
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