Continuity of Care during a Natural Disaster . Publc Health Perspective

Ilicit drug abuse  is a growing public health concern ; nearly 2.4 million people in the United States have a SUD or Substance Abuse Disorder (SAMSA,2015) related to prescription opioid prescription drug misuse . Approximately half a million people  are currently addicted to Heroin , Methamphetamine use is also on the rise as well as other drugs whose base are constructed from anasthetics such as Fentanyl and cocain. Data on privately insured individuals aged 18 to 64 from the yar 2010 to 2014 from Truven Health Analytics Market Scan Commercial Claims and Encounters data base shows that 40 % of patients did not recieve any follow up services within 30 days following an opioid related hospitalization. The mechanisms by which this type of addiction occures is termed cross addiction which happens insiduously while the patient is recieving pharmacotherapeutics for pain management in the treatment of chronic conditions such as arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis , psychosocial conditions and post injury from sports injuries; and near fatal automobile accidents (CDC.gov,2016). Although this is a crisis that currently threatens populations , and I say populations because at it stands if we gatherd all of the people addicted to illicit drugs in the U.S they would be enough to fill two states ; whose sole population would be constructed of addicts ; what of the persons currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation for addiction when faced with a natural disaster . How does this affect there treatment and there ability to comply with the thereapeutic regimen? . Are they face with a new crisis such as patients recieving cancer treatment who also are submerged in a  crisis due to natural disaster. What of there ability to complete a therapeutic regiomen? Not to mention the thousands of patients who rely on such life saving medication such as insulin ; where these are costly and merit strict refrigeration ; which in turn are supplied through electrical power. There are currently over 36 million diabetics in the United States which lead Public Health to question  the effectivness of Public Health Processes Procedures and Sustainablity .  The National Cancer Institute currently provides program implementation and strategics for the continuation of cancer care and pharmacotherapeutics during a natural disaster ; and it is my belief that many of these strategies can alsobe implemented to vulnerable populations such as addicts and diabetic populations to off set he burdo of secndary disease attainmentstemming from a natural disaster and to provide effective care even under the most dire circumstances; especially for populations in rural communities because of the added nature of said distance , topography,   geography , and lack of resources.


References 

CDC(2017) Opioid Addiction . retrieved from http.www.cdc.gov

SAMSHA(2016) The CBHSQ Report .Retrieved from http.www.samsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2117 shortRpor-2117.pf                                       

Alternative Methods in Public Health Delivery / Counter Measures

As  government institutions become more and more concerned with health problems ; the need for reliable prevalence and incidence data is increasing (Friis & Sellers, 2014) however; to estimate accurately the number of individuals having a given disease is not easy The number of subjects already diagnosed is useful to measure the impact of health services The epidemiologist also tries to detect new cases , so far diagnosed . In both situations the classical epidemiological approach using random population sampling is extreamly expensive alternative methods to estimate the number of subjects with a defined health problem corrective for deficiencies in assesstment have been proposed. Epidemiological Exposure Analysis include estimation of demographics and population characteristics just to name a particular method to determine prevalence or risk analysis in epidemiology that are useful in alternative more expensive methods of collecting data to estimate prevalence and or incidence rates . These are useful for example in determining par levels needs in for example antidotes to specific toxins . There are many uses in alternative data collection methods and we can certainly see there applicability in settings that may not have been thought of at first glance .
So what is antidote ? . An antidote is a medicine taken to counteract a toxin . What are par levels ? . Par levels is a system used in Inventory to estimate needs and other characteristics of said inventory . Applying alternate prevalence data and incidence are always the preferred epidemiological mathematical application in population health , how ever we can appreciate more complex epidemiological application to practice , and their usability.               

References
Friis ,R & Sellers , T (2014) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice . Bartlett Jones Publishing USA