The document discusses the opioid epidemic and proposes solutions to address it. It notes that while doctors prescribe opioids to manage pain, patients should verify prescriptions and consider alternative pain management tools. It advocates adopting an integrative medicine approach that combines conventional and alternative therapies. It also calls for mandatory doctor training on opioid risks and alternative treatments, a national prescription database, health institution accountability, public awareness campaigns, and subsidized addiction treatment centers to help curb the epidemic.

1. The price/performance of taking opioids
Trust yet, verify what your Doctor prescribes to you.
How s/he is accountable?
&
Who is really responsible for opioid epidemic?

2. The problem: Opioids painkillers that ….may kill
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/11/health/opioid-prescription-painkillers-patient-advice/
http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/guideline_infographic-a.pdf
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf

3. So what do we do about these facts?
- Be indifferent until it affects you personally
- Be intellectually/emotionally disturbed for few moments, and move on.
- Be proactive.
- Trust your doctor, but verify what you insert into your body. If you or your family members
need to have a surgery or having an injury, make sure the Dr /health institution is trained about
integrative wellness and health tools to reduce pain and is aware of the opioid addiction
threats.

4. Are you a medical Dr. ? It’s time to expand your skills:
Explore & adopt Interactive wellness and health tools
The principles of integrative medicine:
● A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process
● Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
● Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as
body
● A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
● Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
● Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
● Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
● Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-
development
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02054/Andrew-Weil-Integrative-Medicine.html

5. Interactive wellness and health tools for pain and
stress management
Various solutions:
http://www.healingchronicpain.org/introduction/intgtherapy
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/alternative-medicine-integrative-
medicine
http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/pain-treatment.aspx

6. United States Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Sylvia Mathews Burwell about opioids
Links in the official website
Is that enough?
What is the responsibility and accountability in the national /state /county levels?
What about FDA? The CDC?
What about Medical schools training?

7. How do we resolve the opioid epidemic problem
1. Mandatory 2 webinars to all MD Dr about:
a. the price/performance of opioids
b. Multidisciplinary integrative stress & pain management modalities and self help tools
2. National database of pharmacies and dr of who is prescription what to whom
3. Responsibility and accountability in every health institution
4. Awareness tv and social media ads created by CDC & FDA
5. Integrative addiction center subsidized by municipalities to treat addicted people

8. About me - Avigail Berg-Panitz, social entrepreneur
Contact me to learn more of how to apply a new proactive, preventive, personalized
and positive integrative wellness paradigm in which we close the gap between
therapeutic modalities and self help tools.
www.about.me/avigail, www.linkedin.com/in/avigailberg, avigailberg@gmail.com