More than six out of 10 overdose deaths in the United States involve an opioid. In less than two decades, nearly half a million people died from drug overdoses, the CDC says. America has an epidemic on her hands, according to the CDC. New information from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that nearly half of the opioids prescribed by dentists and oral surgeons to patients who have had dental surgery, like wisdom tooth removal, are never used by the dental patients.
#Dentistry and the #opioid epidemic https://t.co/FcK2i4qLY8 via @Medscape #dental #dentist @MedProDental http://pic.twitter.com/uQmKCL0809
— MedPro Protector (@MedProProtector) August 30, 2016
Common types of opioids are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone. Overdose deaths from prescription opioid pain relievers has quadrupled since 1999. The CDC says that prescription opioids are a major player in this epidemic.
“We now know that overdoses from prescription opioid pain relievers are a driving factor in the 15-year increase in opioid overdose deaths… Deaths from prescription opioids—drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone—have also quadrupled since 1999.”
According to the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, patients are more likely to safely dispose of leftover opioid pills if they are specifically given information about pharmacy-based disposal programs.
“The authors suggest if there were more drug disposal kiosks in pharmacies, and if dentists reduced the amount of opioid pills they prescribe following surgery by just a little, it could reduce the mountain of unused pills – and therefore the amount of misuse – significantly,” Medical News Today reported.
Many people aren’t aware that anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted to them. In 2014, almost two-million Americans were dependent on or abused prescription opioid painkillers.
When the researchers examined the data from just 79 patients who were prescribed the painkillers following dental impaction surgery, they discovered that those 79 patients ended up with a combined 1,000 pills left over. They write that if this finding were applied to the whole U.S. population, millions of opioid pills prescribed to patients after dental surgery end up unused. They surmised that dentists and oral surgeons are prescribing too many pills per prescription.
Study finds half of #opioid #painkillers go unused after #dental surgery. #dentisthttps://t.co/y87ypaFELR
— Pain News Network (@PainNewsNetwork) September 23, 2016
“When translated to the broad U.S. population, our findings suggest that more than 100 million opioid pills prescribed to patients following surgical removal of impacted wisdom teeth are not used, leaving the door open for possible abuse or misuse by patients, or their friends or family,” lead author Dr. Brandon Maughan, who was involved in the study as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the Perelman School of Medicine, said, according to a press release. “Given the increasing concern about prescription opioid abuse in the United States, all prescribers – including physicians, oral surgeons and dental clinicians – have a responsibility to limit opioid exposure, to explain the risks of opioid misuse, and educate patients on proper drug disposal.”
Maughan says that providing a one-page information sheet and a small financial incentive to patients who properly dispose of their unused medications will significantly reduce the number of opioids available to people who struggle with opioid abuse and addiction.
Prof. Elliot V. Hersh of Penn’s School of Dental Medicine co-authored the study and said on average, dentists were prescribing twice as many opioid pills as patients seemed to need.
“Results of our study show within 5 days of surgery, most patients are experiencing relatively little pain, and yet, most still had well over half of their opioid prescription left.”
The research team suggests placing more drug disposal centers within the communities. Disposal kiosks could be placed in in grocery stores, pharmacies, and other places patients visit regularly, the suggested. Prof. Hersh also suggested some changes to prescription writing on the part of dentists.
“Research shows that prescription-strength NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, combined with acetaminophen, can offer more effective pain relief and fewer adverse effects than opioid-containing medications. While opioids can play a role in acute pain management after surgery, they should only be added in limited quantities for more severe pain.”
They say that people who have been found to abuse or overdose on prescription opioids often use leftover pills that had been prescribed for friends or family members for dental surgeries.
A separate study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health claims that states with legalized medical marijuana experience a decrease in opioid abuse. Some wonder if medical marijuana could someday be used to treat temporary pain from dental surgeries.
Can Medical Marijuana Curb Opioid Epidemic? US States With Legal Weed Have Decreased Opioid Abuse https://t.co/ex87GU0OGK #health #medical
— Dentist Daily (@dentistdaily) September 16, 2016
Are Opioids Prescribed By Dentists, Oral Surgeons Contributing To Addiction Epidemic? is an article from: The Inquisitr News
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