Opioid and Fentanyl Treatment
- Refine the Problem Statement. Refine your problem statement, based on what you learned from your peers, your Instructor, and/or the Learning Resources this week and in previous weeks.
- Develop a Vision Statement. Develop a vision statement of what the problem would look like if it were solved. The vision statement should be 1–2 sentences long.
- Identify Unintended Outcomes/Consequences. Describe the risks for unintended outcomes/consequences that might arise when addressing the problem. Explain how you would prevent the unintended outcomes/consequences.
CURRENT PROBLEM STATEMENT WRITTEN
Refining the Problem Statement
Somerville et al. (2017) state that fentanyl is one of the leading causes of opioid-related deaths in the United States. An opioid death was recorded every 8 minutes in 2016 alone. The problem continues to worsen as the number of recorded deaths continues to soar. This is because fentanyl is a more potent pain reliever than morphine, thereby increasing the affinity for addiction. Its heroin-like effect creates sensations of happiness to mask any emotional distress. Addicts would tend to buy the drugs from the streets, thereby putting more pressure on drug enforcement agencies. As a result, the American government declared the crisis a public health emergency. Therefore, addressing the problem would require effective strategies that address the various needs of the affected individuals.
