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The opioid epidemic, also referred to as the opioid crisis, is the rapid increase in the overuse, misuse/abuse, and overdose deaths attributed either in part or in whole to the class of drugs called opiates/opioids since the 1990s. It includes the significant medical, social, psychological, demographic and economic consequences of the medical ...
Amid the worsening U.S. overdose crisis, experts say a simple drug — naloxone — is a key tool in preventing more deaths.But not enough people know about it, have access to it or actually carry ...
Opioids are used for pain management acutely or prescribed after a surgical procedure. While opioids aid in short- and long-term pain management, overprescription or constant opioid-exposure increases the risk for addiction. [16] There is a rise within healthcare systems to manage prescription of opioids. [16]
When people continue to use opioid medications beyond what a doctor prescribes, whether to minimize pain or induce euphoric feelings, it can mark the beginning stages of an opioid addiction. [20] Also, in 2018, after being prescribed an opioid medication, about 10.3 million people ended up misusing it, and 47,600 people died from an overdose. [11]
Opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan will be available over the counter to buy at drug stores, supermarkets and convenience stores. Opioid overdose antidote Narcan will be widely available over ...
The first over-the-counter naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdose, is starting to come available in retail stores and online. The medicine, with the brand name Narcan, has a suggested ...
Unused or old opioids should not be stored in the home as there is a risk of people using the drugs for non-medical purposes. Among adolescents and young-adults, non-medical use of prescription opioids is associated with a subsequent 13-fold increased risk of heroin use later in life. [24]
The opioid epidemic took hold in the U.S. in the 1990s. Percocet, OxyContin and Opana became commonplace wherever chronic pain met a chronic lack of access to quality health care, especially in Appalachia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the prescription opioid epidemic the worst of its kind in U.S. history.