RTI experts map complex legal landscape of opioid policy in new paper

Authors emphasize importance of understanding laws, regulations and guidelines in the U.S. to improve opioid harm prevention efforts

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new paper from RTI International, an independent scientific research institute, offers a baseline understanding of the complex patchwork of laws, regulations, policies and guidelines at the federal, state and local levels aimed at preventing opioid-related harm in the U.S. This paper helps epidemiologists, policy researchers, modelers, social scientists and the general public understand and navigate a complex landscape of policy and legal issues related to substance use. 

 “The sheer volume and variety of laws and policies make it difficult to assess which measures are most effective at reducing opioid-related harm,” said lead author Sazid Khan, Ph.D., an epidemiologist and program manager at RTI. “That is why disentangling the legal landscape is critical to understanding the impact government measures have on opioid-related harms.”  

The authors note that hundreds of federal, state and local laws and policies have been enacted to address the crisis. The measures range from restricting initial opioid prescriptions to funding treatment programs and expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through telehealth.  

 Khan and his colleagues clearly define how laws, regulations, policies and guidelines differ in definitions and applications. For example, while laws and regulations are enforceable and carry penalties for noncompliance, guidelines—such as those issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—are typically voluntary. 

Enforcement responsibilities are spread across multiple entities, they note, including federal and state agencies, medical and pharmacy boards and local authorities--and penalties for violations are variable and can include loss of license, fines or incarceration. 

The paper also includes a section on the implications and unintended consequences of opioid-related laws, policies and guidelines. The authors point to restrictions on prescribing, which can be well-intended, but can also limit access to necessary pain management for some patients if not implemented deliberately.  

The paper was published by RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications. 

 View the full paper