Zohydro is an opioid analgesic hydrocodone that no contains acetaminophen is a 12-h extended-release formulation. Its approval was against the FDA’s expert panel recommendation. Opioids have been widely used as treatment for non-cancer chronic pain. However, it may be some misunderstanding in the efficacy and safety of this drugs because of their potential misuse, abuse and addiction.…
This rate of opioid prescriptions led the health department to begin research on ways to decrease the number of prescriptions. In this study they provided pre and post surveys to 1182 prescribers in the area, after the pre-survey was taken they then provided education to all providers and the risk and benefits of opioid pain medication. The survey consisted of three questions which were taken from recommendations by the states board of health. These recommendations are: 3 day supply of opioids is enough for acute pain, Avoid opioids in non-cancer chronic pain, and avoid high dose prescriptions. The study looked for improved knowledge and improved prescribing practices through the provider’s response to these three questions.…
The pharmacist’s role in the step towards dismantling the capitalistic market of opiates is to help their patients understand the dangers of painkillers being prescribed to them. The addictive and destructive natural of painkillers should be well understood by the patient after extensive counseling. The pharmacist also has the right to not dispense the opiate medication if their profession judgement has determined that it will ultimately be disastrous to the patient and the community. This will further limit the supply of opiates and cause damage to the capitalistic…
Treatment vs. Incarceration for Opioid Abuse There are more than 15 million Americans that suffer from opioid abuse disorder (WHO,2014). This paper looks at treatment options verses incarceration. Out of the 2 million people in federal and state prison more than one-quarter of them suffer from drug abuse (Common Sense for Drug Policy, 2016). What is more astonishing is that most of them do not receive the treatment they need to recover from their opiate addiction.…
According to prescription data from the IMS Health, “at the beginning of 2006, there were 47 million prescriptions dispensed per quarter in the United States for the opioid analgesics included in this study. Prescription volume peaked in the fourth quarter of 2012 at 62 million prescriptions dispensed.” (Dart). This increase in prescription directly relates to the substance’s abuse as “the rate of prescription opioid abuse increased from 1.6 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 7.3 in 2010” (Dart). When doctors prescribe these drugs, usually the opioids hurt more than help.…
Prescription opioid drug abuse has been on the rise in the United States since 2001 and is now considered an epidemic. Prescription opioid drug abuse is an obvious issue in today's society, as a result, steps are being taken to reduce or eliminate the abuse of prescription opiates--but at what consequence? In order to delve deeper into this issue, one must first know the background…
According to the “Opioid Crisis” article, the current crisis began with the over-prescription of painkillers, between 1991 and 2011 prescriptions nearly tripled, “by 2016, “only” 215 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed” (Rothstein). As prescriptions increased, so did potency. This made them even more addicting. In addition, “The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 91.5 million Americans are taking opioids” (Rothstein). This large scale of prescriptions has now taken its toll on America, out of millions of people, the risk of addiction, overdose, and Death is higher than ever.…
Opioids is a dangerous painkiller, that’s prescribed by doctors. They are fueling an epidemic that, unfortunately starts in the doctor’s office and end up into the streets.…
If a person does however become addicted to a narcotic, there are evaluative processes and treatment plans to help a patient overcome their addiction. Treatment requires ongoing behavioral changes and hope that their body can accept another form of pain relief. For the future of the opioid crisis, I feel it is all about customer satisfaction. If the patient is not happy with their level of treatment and relief of pain, then that is portrayed as a disgrace to that doctor or healthcare team. Nursing is about patient centered care and quality of care, and if the patient isn’t satisfied with an order for ice & heat packs and exercise for 30 minutes a day instead of a pain pill, then the doctor or clinician is more likely to prescribe an opioid pain med without knowing whether the patient is truly in pain or what is causing…
Opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin, are the most widespread prescribed painkiller for the treatment of moderate to chronic pain. While these opioids are highly effective in masking the pain temporarily, these drugs are highly addictive. Many patients, especially those who take more than the prescribed amount, often develop a dependency to these drugs, resulting to addiction. There is growing evidence that these drugs are being widely prescribed and abused, causing an increase in health care costs. To help fight the growing number of dependency and addiction to these drugs, doctors should take more time explaining the many harmful side effects of these drugs to their patients before prescribing the drugs.…
The opioid epidemic has been an issue that the United States has struggled with since the early 1900’s. Opioids are drugs commonly used in medical practice to relieve pain. Before the knowledge we have currently on opioids, opioids were an essential in curing a range of symptoms; from relieving pain to being used as cough suppressants. Today, the war on opioids is at an all time high. In 2014, 14 thousand people died from an opioid overdose.…
There are cost problems along with the possibility of addiction when opioids are prescribed to individuals seeking pain relief. The use of opioids by medical practitioners should be reduced and more alternatives should be introduced into the medical practice as a cost-effective way to save money and help people. The introduction of the less expensive medications will prove to be better for the patient in terms of being able to receive the medication. Doctors should have encouragement to review other options before prescribing the opioids because of the opioids addictive nature and the cost of the drugs. If the patient is able to recover from injury or a sickness without paying too much and without becoming addicted to a medication then it is a good thing for both the patient and the doctor.…
“In 2010, approximately 46 Americans died per day from an overdose involving prescription opioids” (moving beyond) Pharmaceutical opioids addictive properties leave patients needing another script even though their symptoms are gone. Big pharmaceutical companies push these drugs; therefore, doctors feel pressured to over prescribe them. “Millions of people in the United States report nonmedical use of prescription drugs, and recently drug overdoses have surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury death” (moving beyond) Our government spends billions of dollars for the war on drugs, but only a small percentage of it focuses on pharmaceutical opioids that are being misprescribed and abused.…
In recent years, we have heard much talk about the Opioid abuse problems in America. According to Anonymous (2015), as of 2010, opioid-related deaths accounted for 60% of all overdoses and drug overdose deaths outnumbered motor vehicle deaths in 2009. Programs are being started to get naloxone kits into the hands of lay people to help prevent death due to an opioid overdose. The providers in the state of Virginia, where I live and practice, are starting to search national registries before prescribing opioids to patients. However, this is long overdue.…
In April 2011, President Obama addressed the issue in the White House position paper, Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis. The Obama administration announced it would seek legislation-requiring doctors to undergo training before being permitted to prescribe potent narcotics (Smith 68). The current most popular solutions at any level have included solutions such as requiring physicians to gain certification of training in addictive mediation and applying a system of monitoring for those who are prescribing and being prescribed these medications. There have been more spins offs of these two ideas as well, such as harsh punishment for diving under the influence of these drugs. The FDA is currently undergoing investigations of how they can productively address the opioid abuse in America, “taking action to protect patients from serious harm due to these drugs, [finding a] careful balance between continued access to these necessary medications and stronger measures to reduce their risks.”…