The Opioid Crisis: Understanding Pain and Preventing Opioid Misuse

Upwards of 2 million Americans misused prescription opioids for the first time in 2016. The misuse of these powerful painkillers can have devastating consequences—nearly half of opioid-related deaths involve legally obtained prescription medications.* With such stark consequences, how can we help patients manage pain while minimizing the danger of opioid misuse? This webinar will got the heart of the prevention question, exploring efforts across the health system to stop opioid abuse before it starts.

Speakers discussed:

• Efforts to standardize the use of opioids to treat chronic pain based on CDC guidelines, and the use of insurance data to identify non-standard treatment patterns for targeted outreach
• Partnerships to collect data and share best practices for reducing opioid use in the area with greatest potential for misuse—acute care prescribing after surgery, dentistry, emergency care or trauma
• The latest on alternative pain management, including virtual reality, and ideas for closing the evidence gap on alternative treatments and the science of addiction
• Education for consumers on securing and safely disposing of prescription medications

*As of 2016. The CDC has since reported that prescription drugs were involved in more than 35% of all opioid overdose deaths in 2017