AACN Joins Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

In keeping with our commitment to mobilizing academic nursing's response to the opioid crisis, AACN has joined with more than 100 healthcare, higher education, and community-based organizations to support the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. Recognizing the need for a coordinated, multi-sectoral response to address opioid misuse, the participating organizations are working together to develop collective solutions and advance those with the most potential to stem this grave public health issue. The number of opioid-related deaths in the U.S. from both prescription and illegal drugs has quadrupled in the last 20 years. At present, 130 people die each day from opioid overdose.

"AACN is committed to working with our partners in the Action Collaborative to advance interprofessional, evidence-based strategies to reverse the opioid epidemic," said AACN Board Chair Ann Cary. "We look forward to working with a wide spectrum of organizations to ensure that the healthcare workforce is well-prepared to combat and end this crisis."

As part of our commitment to this initiative, AACN will be asking member schools to pledge their support for addressing the opioid crisis and share details about what they are doing at the local level to address this concern. Schools pledging support will be highlighted on the AACN Web site and receive regular updates on the work of the Action Collaborative.  The drive for pledges will commence next week.

See AACN's Commitment Statement on Countering the Opioid Epidemic. To learn more about AACN's work in this area and academic nursing's response to this public health concern, click here.

About the Action Collaborative

Founded in 2018 in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic is a public-private partnership committed to developing, curating, and disseminating solutions designed to reduce opioid misuse and improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities affected by the opioid crisis. The Action Collaborative is sponsored by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Aetna, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Arnold Ventures, Association of American Medical Colleges, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Foundation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, Federation of State Medical Boards, HCA Healthcare, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.