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To effectively address this evolving public health challenge, our strategies and approaches must also change. By taking a comprehensive and adaptive approach, incorporating ongoing research, improving access to prevention and treatment, collaborating across sectors, and conducting meaningful community engagement to support those affected by addiction, we can change the course of this devastating crisis, save lives, and forge a healthier future for our nation.

In Phase I (2018–2020), the Action Collaborative convened over 60 key entities to address some of the highest-priority elements in the nation’s response to the opioid crisis, including: health professional education and training; pain management guidelines and evidence standards; prevention, treatment, and recovery services; and research, data, and metrics needs. In addressing these focus areas, the Action Collaborative developed tools and resources that: strengthened the continuum of health professional education to prepare clinicians to effectively manage pain and treat opioid use disorder (OUD); highlighted best practices, research gaps, and future priorities for improving pain management practices; identified priorities to support prevention, treatment, and recovery services and helped prepare the nation’s health system to better meet the needs of individuals with OUD; and supported communities and individuals experiencing addiction and pain throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Phase II (2020–2022), the Action Collaborative continued to build on its focus areas from Phase I while evolving to address the changing crisis. The Action Collaborative developed a wide range of products, including publications, podcasts, patient-centered resources, and frameworks while also holding strategic convenings such as webinars, workshops, and thematic meetings. Together, the products and convenings from Phase II advanced progress across the Action Collaborative’s focus areas, including challenges posed by COVID-19. The Action Collaborative also began to expand its work to include substances beyond opioids in response to the growing impact of fentanyl and illicit drugs on the overdose crisis. The Action Collaborative’s work informed federal priorities, advanced national research initiatives, supported health system change, and positioned the Action Collaborative to continue leading a unified systems response to the substance use crisis.

During Phase III (2022–present), the Action Collaborative is focused on addressing the evolving nature of the substance use and opioid crisis and leading action that will create a sustainable response into the future. To achieve its goals, the Action Collaborative’s Phase III strategy focuses on advancing health equity, catalyzing data-driven implementation efforts, and developing a framework to address future substance use crises. In Phase III, the Action Collaborative will operationalize its work through three interrelated working groups: education, practice, and health systems; prevention, data, and research; and substance use disorder framework.