Dr. Byrne Discusses Opioid Dependence vs Addiction at the NPSC Congressional Briefing

On November 19, 2019 the NPSC and the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus (ATR) convened a congressional briefing with internationally recognized experts to discuss the dual challenges of addiction and dependence in developing policy responses to the opioid epidemic. Although many people conflate addiction and dependence, they are not the same, and the distinction has important implications for the millions of people who rely on opioid medications for pain management. Dr. Patrick Byrne, from University of Texas, provided the pain patient perspective on the briefing panel. In 2016 he sustained a spinal cord injury that left him with chronic pain, which he has managed with a combination of physical therapy, opioids and surgery.