In Virginia, heroin and opioid overdose deaths outnumber motor vehicle fatalities. Opioid abuse often leads to heroin dependency and affects Virginians from every walk of life. 

Health professionals, as prescribers and trusted health advisers, have the ability to positively impact the drug crisis. Of note, the U.S. Senate recently passed bipartisan legislation that, if passed by the House, will authorize $300 million in grants to develop local support services and best practices for pain management and prescribing; it also enhances prescription monitoring to track individuals who receive prescriptions from multiple providers.

State leaders are working collectively to address the issue in the commonwealth. Dentists, physicians, pharmacists and other prescribers can use the Prescription Monitoring program to track a patient's prescription history with controlled substances. Additionally, the FDA recently added new black box warnings for immediate-release opioid pain medication to emphasize the risks associated with abuse, including death. The ADA also has a wealth of information about the dental provider's role in preventing opioid diversion, misuse and abuse.