Introduction Overview of the opioid epidemic. Brief history and how it evolved into a crisis. The Scale of the Epidemic Statistics on opioid addiction, overdoses, and deaths. The impact on various demographics and regions. Causes of the Opioid Epidemic Overprescription of painkillers and pharmaceutical companies' roles. Economic factors and healthcare system issues. Social and psychological factors contributing to addiction. Effects of the Opioid Epidemic On individuals (health, psychological impact, and societal stigma). On families and communities. Economic impact and strain on healthcare systems. Addressing
Situation of Focus The opioid epidemic in America has arisen in part as a result of over-prescription of drugs to patients (Brummett et al., 2017). While patients have a right to expect pain relief, the tendency among health care providers to prescribe opioid therapy to opioid naïve patients at an unnecessarily high dosage can have detrimental effects and risks, such as long-term addiction of the patient (Harbaugh et al., 2018), sleep
Purpose The purpose of this executive summary is to provide an overview of the issue of the opioid epidemic in the U.S. and how supply-side factors have played a role in the spread of this epidemic. According to Pacula and Powell (2018) in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, published at Rand.org, the opioid crisis “is a complex, multifaceted, and dynamic problem requiring a comprehensive strategy for dealing not just
Title: Opioid Epidemic in America Abstract While many people are aware that there is an opioid epidemic in America, they may not understand exactly what that means. While opioids are drugs, the term does not just refer to any type of drug. Instead, it refers specifically to the types of drugs that interact with a specific type of receptor in the brain. This article discusses what opioids are, what the opioid crises
Abstract Drug overdose has become the leading cause of death in the United States, and the majority of overdose fatalities involve opioids. Both legal (by doctor prescription) and illicit opioids are implicated in the current public health epidemic. The vast majority (80%) of heroin addicts started off using prescription opioids, showing that the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are in large part culpable for fueling the crisis. Opioids do have a role
OxyContin -- The Start of the Opioid Epidemic Social Impact Opioids are the class of drugs that involve an illegal drug named heroin. When over-prescription of OxyContin was observed, it was linked to the addiction to heroin. Purdue launched this drug in 1996 with extensive marketing for the primary care doctor who advised their patients for backaches and knee pain to use this drug (Ryan, 2016). It was even noticed that the