According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of overdoses on prescription
painkillers (opioids) – drugs available to us through our doctors’ offices and
pharmacies – is a “public health epidemic” in the United States. The CDC reports some alarming statistics:
- In 2010, 12 million Americans (age 12 or older) reported nonmedical use of prescription painkillers in the past year
- Nearly 15,000 people die every year due to overdosing on prescription painkillers
- Between 1999 and 2010, painkiller prescriptions increased by 300%
Everyday
Health, a provider of health information, notes that the problem is
worsening. In 2009, more than 475,000
people were admitted to emergency rooms due to painkiller abuse – reportedly
five times the number of people admitted for the same reason five years
earlier. Moreover, opioids are now much
stronger and dependence is more likely.
“The question is whether we’re in more pain over that
period,” notes Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D., an addiction specialist. “But I really don’t think we are,” he
adds.
We’ve written about chronic pain
before, as it’s a significant player in absenteeism and other workplace
issues. This prescribing trend could
certainly compound pain-related worker issues.
But what’s being done to curb the trend? Several measures have been suggested, including
- Devoting more time to training in opioid addiction issues in medical school
- Extra vigilance from prescribing doctors in evaluating patients for the possibility of addiction
- Prescription Monitoring Programs for physicians and pharmacists
Tell us what you think - how do you see this phenomenon as affecting workers? Is it just those with chronic pain who are susceptible to opioid addiction? Are the recommendations listed above realistic and/or sufficient for fixing the problem?
