ACOG Statement on Opioid Abuse

Washington, DC—Mark S. DeFrancesco, MD, President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, today released the following statement regarding the American Medical Association (AMA) Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse:

“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is proud to be a member of the AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse. As women’s physicians, we recognize the importance of working with our health care provider counterparts to combat abuse of prescription opioids across the country.

“The AMA Task Force has laid out common-sense approaches that will give physicians relevant information when they are making prescribing decisions for their patients.

“We appreciate the importance of providing effective pain relief to the millions of Americans who suffer from acute and chronic pain. The AMA Task Force will help to maintain that access while averting potential prescription opioid abuse. We also believe that the Task Force’s approaches will help obstetrician-gynecologists to better identify potential addiction among women of reproductive age and pregnant women, allowing the early intervention that has been proven to improve outcomes for the mother and the infant – including medication assisted therapy.

“We look forward to working with the AMA and our fellow task force members to implement the Task Force’s plan and, in so doing, to help to address this ongoing public health crisis.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org