Recently, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., announced a one day Online Opioid Summit to discuss ways to collaboratively take action in combatting the opioid crisis by reducing the availability of illicit opioids online. Commissioner Gottlieb invited internet stakeholders, government entities, academic researchers, and advocacy groups to the Summit, which is scheduled to take place on June 27, 2018, from 9 am to 3:30 pm.
Invitations were issued to stakeholders who have the ability to make the most significant impact on reducing illegal online opioid sales and contribute to transformational changes in this space. Invitees include senior executives from major search engines, social media platforms, domain name registries/registrars, online marketplaces as well as advocacy groups, other government agencies, and academic researchers with expertise in this topic.
The Summit will take place at the FDA White Oak Campus, but the majority of the Summit will be webcast so it will be viewable by the general public. On the day of the event, internet attendees can visit this site to watch.
The basic agenda of the event can be found here, and includes four sessions: Session I will focus on an overview of the crisis, including current research that shows how easily opioids can be purchased online; Session II, which is set to highlight current approaches to addressing the opioids marketed online; Session III, which will feature remarks by Commissioner Gottlieb; and Session IV, which will feature a roundtable discussion on gaps and new solutions by internet stakeholders.
If you have any questions, you can contact the FDA by emailing FDAInternetPharmacyTaskForce-CDER@fda.hhs.gov.