United States Surgeon General appeals to America’s clinicians to “Turn the Tide” on the prescription drug epidemic.

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy sent a letter to 2.3 million American health professionals this week, asking them to lead a national movement to turn the tide on the nation’s prescription opioid epidemic. The letter contains a pocket card outlining the CDC’s opioid prescribing guidelines. 

This is the first time that a U.S. Surgeon General has sent a letter directly to the nation’s health professionals seeking their support in addressing a public health crisis.

The Surgeon General urges clinicians to visit a website his office launched this month, TurnTheTideRx.org, where they can pledge their commitment to combating opioid misuse by

  • enhancing education for treating pain,
  • screening patients for opioid use disorder, and
  • leading a shift in the public perception of addiction so that it is treated as chronic illness rather than as a moral failing

Anyone struggling with an opioid addiction or anyone who knows someone who is may contact the Sieda Behavioral Health and Treatment Services office at 641-683-6747 to schedule a substance abuse evaluation.