Turning the tide of opioid addiction

Turning the tide of opioid addiction

In the last 15 years, there has been a 300-percent increase in opioid prescriptions, yet the amount of pain reported by Americans has not changed. And in that same time frame, opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled.

In 2013, 249 million prescriptions for painkillers were written in our country. That’s enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.

These statistics were shared with doctors around the country this week in a letter from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

The letter is asking for the help of every medical professional to help end the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

“It is important to recognize that we arrived at this place on a path paved with good intentions,” said Dr.

Murthy. “Many of us were taught -incorrectly- that opioids are not addictive when prescribed for legitimate pain.

More than 150 Arkansans died from prescription drug overdose in 2014.

The Dr. Murthy is asking the commitment of physicians to take the pledge at www.TurnTheTideRx.org.

The pledge includes a promise for doctors to educate themselves on how to treat pain safely and effectively, how to screen patients for opioid use disorder, and if needed connect patience with evidence-based treatment.

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise doctors to assess the pain of a patient on a scale from 1-10 and consider if non-opioid therapies are appropriate. Doctors are also advised to set criteria for stopping or continuing opioid treatment and evaluate the risk of harm. Factors such as a previous history of drug abuse and drug screenings can be used to evaluate the risks.

Nearly 2 million people in America have a prescription drug abuse disorder, contributing to increased heroin use and the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.

Knowing that as many as 1 in 4 receiving long term opioid therapy struggle with addiction, the CDC claims recommends less than 7 days of pain medication for acute pain. If treatment is needed any longer, patients should be reassessed within 1-4 weeks after initial assessment.

If you are a health care professional in our district, I encourage you to take the pledge. If you find yourself in need of pain medication, ask your doctor about the CDC recommendations and work together on a plan to safely end the use of the medication.

From State Representative Deborah Ferguson