Epidemic Opioid Addiction in the United States

Due to the misuse of opioids, over 100 individuals die everyday in America. Opioids include prescription pain relievers, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and drugs such as heroin. In recent history, there has been a significant influx of deaths caused by opioid overdoses, which has caused this issue to develop into a detrimental national crisis that affects not only public health, but also social and economic welfare. In this report, we will discuss how opioids have negatively affected our country and its social dynamic. We will also explore have this is reacted to by americans and its government institutions.

Method

Summary

In the referenced article, the journalists go into immense detail on how the misuse of opioids and the predatory behavior their sellers exhibit add to the issue at hand. The opioid epidemic has rapidly increased in the recent years, resulting in a nationwide issue. The expansion in opioid prescriptions was impacted by consolations given to prescribers by pharmaceutical organizations and restorative social orders asserting that the danger of dependence on prescription opioids was low. This notion, in conjunction with different types of illnesses with the same symptoms, and poor standards of physicians , heavily impacted the number of opioids prescribed to individuals. The new report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) studies the social and economic responses of the country as this issue continues to ravage our nation and its people.

Assessment

In efforts to reduce risks and maximize the effectiveness of readily available pain treatments, opioids have been stipulated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for chronic pain outside of cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. By doing this, in addition to standardized pain-management testing, it will reduce the likelihood of overdosages and medication sharing. With the falling prices of out-of-pocket costs on opioids, black market and street prices also fell. Thus, cultivating a prime time high for opioid dependencies and overdoses.

Endeavors to change opioid recommending patterns have been restricted essentially by circuitous mediation by the pharmaceutical business through lobbying and support gatherings. These endeavors incorporate attempts to end measures to limit opioid overprescribing, situations of undermining the CDC rules, and impeding endeavors to consider prescribers and pharmaceutical organizations responsible.

Through recent information provided by the White House Officials it is evident that, our country as a whole had been steadily killing itself as a whole. “From 2010 to 2017, heroin-related overdose deaths spiked from 3,036 to 15,482. Synthetic opioid overdose deaths increased from 3,007 in 2010 to 28,466 in 2017.” Though this issue is a widespread epidemic, many believe that the policies being made may be more detrimental than beneficial. Many believe that the strict policies recently imparted by the CDC for guidelines on prescribing medications are harming pain patients.

Implications. After reading the sourced article, the results of opioid addictions are understood to be destructive on our social and physical welfare as a society. As prices of these medications continuously plummet, they draw higher volumes of recurring drug addicts to consistently use. This aids in the perpetual state of poverty that is also prevalent in communities of the United States.

This Opioid epidemic also makes serious accusations and implications towards the work ethic and the ethical policies and practices of the medical field. The welfare of our citizens should be the first and foremost concern. With the large number of opioid related issues, the nation as a whole sees the effects of the crisis. These effects include but aren’t limited to : higher rates of first responders needing to treat overdoses and stabilizing individuals with opioid dependencies. This is a direct result to the lower response rates to more common health issues of our citizenship such as heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies. In turn, it can directly relate to the higher rates charged by insurance and health care facilities, those who are active participants in the medical field.

Opioid addiction doesn't discriminate among occupations, financial statuses, or ethnicities. When dependent, clients think that it's hard to battle and beat the habit. In this unique situation, hospitalists who create and use opioid treatment strategies are better equipped to manage the expanding commonness of opioid enslavement and overdoses found in the medical fields.

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