The U.S. Surgeon General’s Appeal to all U.S. Physicians

The Surgeon General’s appeal to physicians to “turn the tide” on the opioid epidemic may help to increase the number of prescribers.

The Surgeon General launched TurntheTideRx in late summer 2016 by writing a personal letter to all doctors in the United States, asking them to commit to solve the opioid epidemic.

“First, we will educate ourselves to treat pain safely and effectively. A good place to start is the TurntheTideRX pocket guide with the CDC Opioid Prescribing Guideline. Second, we will screen our patients for opioid use disorder and provide or connect them with evidence-based treatment. Third, we can shape how the rest of the country sees addiction by talking about and treating it was a chronic disease, not a moral failing.” From the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy’s letter to 2.3 million American health professionals