Opioid Crisis Research Paper

My name is Megan Johnston and I am a registered nurse at a local hospital with nine years of critical care experience. During my career at the bedside, I have watched numerous parents, children, and other family members have to make the difficult decision to take their loved one off of life support and watch them die after an opioid drug overdose. To watch how devastating this is for patients and their loved ones is both heart wrenching and disturbing to me as a healthcare professional.
The opioid crisis began to spiral in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies told providers and prescribers that patients would not likely become addicted to opioid pain relievers, and therefore they were prescribed more frequently, which subsequently led to …show more content…
More education is necessary for both providers and patients about alternative methods for treating pain as well as guidance about the safe use and effective dosing of pain medications. Along with that, legislation to support increased access to and insurance coverage of alternative therapies such as massage, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and counseling to name a few is necessary. Either way you look at it, something must be done as the opioid crisis is killing people at an alarming and rapid rate nationwide, and right here at home. Opioid addiction is not just the problem of “junkies”, it affects people of all ages, races, genders, religious backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation. It is important for citizens to reach out to local and state representatives to let them know about their concern for this growing problem and how it is affecting the citizens and community directly.
The opioid crisis has reached epidemic levels and is going to require just as large a response from national, state, and local resources and must begin now. Opioid addiction has already reached epidemic proportions and it is not going to change without