Government and Regulations
Overprescription of Opioids in Women of Childbearing Age
According to this CDC study, opioid prescription rates varied based on region, ethnicity, and insurance enrollment.
In 2011, Eugene Declercq, PhD, of Boston University School of Public Health, found that 56% of U.S. counties had no certified nurse midwives; 46% had no obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs); and 40% had neither providing direct patient care. But a bill introduced in Congress on March 3, 2015, could help rectify that.
Related: Maternal Morbidity: Higher Risk for Minorities
The bill, Improving Access to Maternity Care Act of 2015 (S. 628, H.R. 1209), was introduced by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), and Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) and would establish a health professional shortage area designation for maternity care services, similar to designations that exist for primary care, dental, and mental health services. Currently, OB/GYNs are recognized under the primary care shortage designation, which fails to adequately address shortages in maternity care, according to Sen. Baldwin’s March 3, 2015, statement.
Related: Acute Upper Abdominal Pain in Early Pregnancy
The new designation would allow the Health Resources and Services Administration to deploy the National Health Service Corps to fill critical shortages, allowing valuable resources to be directed to areas of greatest need, according to Ginger Breedlove, PhD, CNM, APRN, FACNM, president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
Related: Overprescription of Opioids in Women of Childbearing Age
“By expanding access to maternity care professionals,” Dr. Breedlove said, “we can reduce extremely high maternity care costs in the U.S. by ensuring that all women can receive supportive prenatal and delivery services.”