Survey Shines Spotlight On Doctors’ Role In Opioid Epidemic
Many patients taking opioids say their doctor did not provide information on how to get off the powerful painkillers. In other news, with drug overdose deaths continuing to rise, the crisis will be one of the front-burner issues Donald Trump will have to address when coming into the White House.
The Washington Post:
One-Third Of Long-Term Users Say They’re Hooked On Prescription Opioids
One-third of Americans who have taken prescription opioids for at least two months say they became addicted to, or physically dependent on, the powerful painkillers, according to a new Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation survey. Virtually all long-term users surveyed said that they were introduced to the drugs by a doctor’s prescription, not by friends or through illicit means. But more than 6 in 10 said doctors offered no advice on how or when to stop taking the drugs. And 1 in 5 said doctors provided insufficient information about the risk of side effects, including addiction. (Clement and Bernstein, 12/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Opioid Epidemic Is An Immediate Test For Donald Trump’s Administration
Donald Trump’s plans to tackle the opioid crisis are taking on new urgency as deaths from the drugs are rising sharply in the U.S. The number of deaths from heroin overdoses surged by 23% to 12,990 in 2015, while fatal overdoses from powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl rose by more than 73% to 9,580, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. (Adamy, 12/9)
And in news on the epidemic from the states —
The New York Times:
New Mothers Derailed By Drugs Find Support In New Hampshire Home
The young women, soon to be mothers, gathered around a big kitchen table, chatting excitedly about due dates and baby names and even morning sickness. But these were not typical expectant mothers. They had used opioids, mostly heroin and fentanyl. Many had been incarcerated. Few had families they could turn to for help, and the fathers of their babies were out of the picture. (Seelye, 12/11)
The Associated Press:
Fentanyl Overdose Deaths In Delaware More Than Double
Delaware health and law enforcement officials say 90 people died from fentanyl overdoes through September, more than double the number who died in all of 2015. The Department of Health and Social Services Department of Safety and Homeland Security reported the statistics in a news release Friday. (12/10)
