The Opioid Crisis-
What Your Organization Can Do Today
Background:
There is truly an epidemic in this country of opioid dependence and its adverse effects on our patients and our communities. There are now more deaths from opioid overdose than from motor vehicle accidents. Many future addicts are created by the improper or prolonged prescription of opioids in “legitimate” medical situations. The cost of opioid addiction is staggering in terms of morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Opioid consumption is a function of supply and demand. Fentanyl is crossing our border in unprecedented amounts.
Dr. Berkowitz will discuss strategies for practitioners, health care systems and the community in combating the Opioid Crisis. He will also review best practices for pain management and education.
“There are now more deaths from opioid overdose than from motor vehicle accidents.”
Presentation Objectives:
- Review the scope of opioid addiction in terms of economic and lifestyle consequences.
- Discuss the components of opioid supply and demand and their contributions to the overall opioid crisis in the USA.
- Review clinical alternatives to opioid overprescribing including patient education and the use of multimodal pain approaches to acute and chronic pain.
- Review how to better involve the diverse stakeholders including the community, the health care system, lawenforcement, and governmental agencies to work together as a team toward the overall goal of reducing opioid usage and dependency.