Summary
Opioid abuse has assumed a prominent role in federal policymaking, with Congress and the Administration seeking to advance solutions to a mounting epidemic. According to a recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, opioid overdose deaths quadrupled between 1999 and 2013, while only 1 million of an estimated 2.5 million people who may benefit from medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder receive it. Amid the increased public health toll of the epidemic and corresponding policy attention, this brief examines the landscape of opioid-related federal policy, including recent milestones, current status, and prospects for upcoming implementation.