We have all heard of the newest epidemic sweeping the nation: opioid abuse. Day after day we hear of people overdosing on products like oxycodone, heroin, and even new illegally synthesized fentanyl. It is estimated that every day about 46 people die from an overdose of opioids. However, opioids have been around for centuries and have been used in many pharmaceutical preparations. How did this epidemic rise and who is to blame for all these deaths?
Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that almost 2 million Americans, 12 years or older, misused or abused opioid pain relievers in 2013. Since then there has been an upward trend in the number of patients abusing their prescriptions. There are many factors that have contributed to the increased access to opioid prescriptions and the potential for abuse. The rise in deaths can be attributed to poor prescribing habits, the 300% increase in prescription opioid sales since the year 1999 and the improper disposal of medications leading to diversion. The next natural approach to combat the opioid epidemic is to crack down on prescribing habits. Opioids that became harder to obtain by prescription had people who became addicted turn to the streets for their next fix. Data indicates that misuse of prescription opioids was a significant risk factor for heroin use. Heroin use has become much more common. As a result, there was a rise in HIV and hep C infections in many areas across the country. Health care professionals are stepping up to recognize the signs of misuse and get patients the help that they need.
How can we as future pharmacists combat this rise in opioid and illicit drug use? Educating patients is the best place to start! We can use our great communications skills to educate our patients about opioid misuse, proper disposal of unused medications, and be able to recognize addiction and help patients get the treatment they need. More importantly, those who have prescriptions for opioids commonly get naloxone to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in the case of an emergency. Pharmacists can work together with the patients family members or caregivers to make sure that they can recognize a drug overdose and properly administer the drug. Additionally, checking statewide databases such as MAPS can be an effective tool in identifying patients who may doctor shop or fill at many pharmacies which may be signals of drug abuse or diversion. Pharmacists are major players in the fight to combat the opioid epidemic.
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/health-system-edition/2016/may2016/opioid-addiction-and-overdose-new-legislation-and-how-pharmacists-play-a-critical-role-in-the-epidemic
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/conferences/ashp-midyear-2016/ashp-midyear-pharmacists-can-take-lead-on-addressing-opioid-crisis
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/
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