Despite the global pandemic, the US is fighting an addiction epidemic—opioids. Over 67,000 people have died from opioid overdoses in 2018, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Out of those deaths, 70 percent are prescription opioids, which is the most disturbing part because it involves patients who were legally prescribed opioids to help them.
From 1999-2018, there are almost 450,000 deaths from opioid overdose in which the first wave began with the increased prescription of opioids in the 1990s, while the second wave began in 2010, and the third wave started in 2013.
How Primary Care Physicians Can Help
Primary care physicians play a significant role in fighting opioid addiction. Dr. Kavita Sharma, a pain management physician at Manhattan Pain & Sports Associates, talked about how doctors can help combat opioid addiction.
One of Dr. Sharma’s tips is for doctors to evaluate each patient because patients have their unique needs, which calls for a different treatment plan. Dr. Sharma thinks that opioids aren’t for everybody, which is why it’s not safe for doctors to prescribe it to everybody.
“I don’t think you can blindly say that you’re not going to prescribe opioids, but I also don’t think you can say it’s safe to prescribe them to everybody,” she said.
Dr. Sharma recommends that physicians ask themselves before they prescribe opioids to a patient. A thorough evaluation of the patient is vital in fighting opioid addiction.
Dr. Sharma also urges primary care doctors to try other methods before they rely on opioids. For patients who get a strain, physical therapy is an excellent recommendation and is an effective one because many patients find relief through regular physical therapy. Other holistic options that Dr. Sharma recommends include meditation or acupuncture. However, she clears that this will depend on the source of pain. Aside from physical therapy and holistic methods, Dr. Sharma also recommends the use of pain medications.
The last tip Dr. Sharma recommends to combat opioid addiction is for physicians to check the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) to monitor patients and their prescriptions. “You can check online and see what opioid medications a patient’s been using,” she said.
With the opioid addiction that is prevalent in the United States, physicians need to take these steps to reduce the number of fatalities that root from opioids. Dr. Sharma is hopeful that eventually, the opioid epidemic will soon be over in the country, but she firmly believes that primary care doctors have a significant role in this to control patients who are receiving opioids.
Along with primary care doctors in the US, the CDC is also committed to fighting the opioid crisis as they continue to work to identify outbreaks, gather data, respond to overdoses, and provide care in communities. The CDC funds health departments in 47 states, Washington DC, two territories, and 16 cities and counties for surveillance and prevention efforts.
Amid the global pandemic, the United States does have its hands full with another epidemic to straighten out. Let’s all hope it plays out well in the end—and soon.
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