Corresponding to legislators is an important way to advocate for patients and the nursing profession. Healthcare Policy and Leadership - Provide a formal letter to the legislator in your district related to a controversial health topic (Opioid Crisis)
The letter should support the specific position or recommended approach to solving the identified problem-
" The Opioid Crisis; Overdoses in Broward County"
1-2 Scholarly references - 5 years or less
Statistics on the topic should be included.
https://www.flhealthcharts.gov/ChartsDashboards/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=SubstanceUse.Overdose
Letter should be addressed to newly appointed :
Florida State Senator Rosalind Osgood (D)
District 33
8941 West Commercial Blvd
Tamarac, Fl
or
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
U.S. House of Representatives
Represents 23 Congressional District- Sunrise
……………..Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act. Florida's opioid crisis is a significant social, health, and economic issue. Opioids contribute to the highest total non-fatal emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and fatalities of all the overdoses in the State. The opioid overdose deaths were 6089 in 202, and Opioid Overdose Annual Age-Adjusted Death Rate was 29.9 in the same period. The emergency medical response to opioid overdose was 42380 in the same period (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). Florida spends approximately $1.3 billion on healthcare costs related to the opioid crisis (Gulf Coast Community Foundation, 2018).
The public healthcare systems incur the majority of these costs. Broward County is the most affected county in the State. Approximately 501 opioid overdose deaths were reported in 2018; thus, urgent legislative action is required to address the issue (Special Purpose Outreach Team, 2020). The current legislation to deal with the opioid crisis has a limited scope, enabling the traffickers and the pharmaceutical industries to exploit them.
I support the introduction of this legislation…………………..