Illicit fentanyl has become a national crisis, driving record numbers of drug-related deaths in the United States. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), two-thirds of the 107,000+ overdose deaths in 2021 were caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its analogs.

Fearing for their lives, people with substance use disorders and their loved ones are seeking help. But who can they trust? Negligence and unlawful acts by some addiction treatment centers have led to increased public skepticism about their effectiveness. And it can be difficult to identify which treatment facilities have quality recovery programs and which do not.

This executive briefing featured an update on the illcit fentanyl crisis by Uttam Dhillon, former Acting Administrator of the DEA followed by a roundtable discussion led by former U.S. Drug Czar Jim Carroll focused on creating better outcomes in addiction treatment through transparency, compliance, and policy.

Thank you to the panelists and everyone who attended today’s round table discussion at the Tower Club in Ft. Lauderdale.

It was a productive, solution-focused discussion, here are a few key takeaways:

• The advancement of behavioral healthcare will require collaboration between the private and public sectors.
• Widespread adoption of measurement-based care will improve the quality of care.
• The hard work of dedicated advocates has led to much positive change in the addiction treatment industry, it’s important to keep that momentum.
• Interoperability between EMR’s and Outcome Tracking Platforms will best position providers for value-based care.
• In order to be successful in value-based care, compliance experts recommend that providers accurately track; environment of care, clinical and medical documentation and audits, HR documentation and patient outcomes.