Opioid Crisis Has Extended Beyond USA, Says Experts

The “opioid epidemic” has reached crisis levels not only in the US but also in Canada and some European countries, as prescription opioid painkillers become increasingly common, according to an OECD report.

In the US, annual opioid deaths increased by more than 5x between 1999 and 2017, prompting President Trump to declare a public health emergency in February 2018. Trump then labelled the situation the “worst drug crisis in American history”.

In other OECD countries, the numbers are tracking in a similar direction. Between 2011 and 2016, in the 25 OECD countries with available data, opioid-related deaths increased by more than 20 percent.

Canada alone saw more than ten thousand opioid-related deaths between January 2016 and September 2018, and the report found that deaths are also rising sharply in Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and England and Wales.

And although the focus so far has largely been on the US and its response to the problem, the OECD report makes it clear that “the United States is by no means alone in facing this crisis.”

The OECD said good regulation was critical to reversing the problem. It points to countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, who have managed to make prescription opioid painkillers more available without seeing an increase in overdose death rates.

“The influence of pharmaceutical manufacturers on pain management has been considered significant, by conducting marketing campaigns targeted mainly at physicians and patients, downplaying the problematic effect of opioids.”

OECD Chief of Staff Gabriela Ramos said the opioid the opioid epidemic was hitting hit the most vulnerable people the hardest.

“Governments need to take decisive action to stop the tragic loss of life and address the terrible social, emotional and economic costs of addiction with better treatment and health policy solutions. But the most effective policy remains prevention.”

In the workplace, there is growing concern that the misuse and abuse of opioids is negatively impacting employee productivity, workplace costs, the availability of labor, absenteeism and disability costs, workers’ compensation claims, and overall medical expenses.

In the US, a 2018 survey from the National Business Group on Health found 80 percent of major employers are concerned about abuse of opioids, with only 19 percent feeling “extremely prepared” to deal with prescription drug misuse at work.

Corey Rhyan, a senior healthcare research analyst at Altarum Institute, pointed to several strategies employers can use to combat the ongoing crisis:

• Offer prescription drug disposal sites.
• Support friends, family, carers and co-workers of people who may be suffering from addiction.
• Provide training and education in the workplace to increase awareness and recognition of opioid abuse.
• Work directly with health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to address the issue by limiting the quantity of pills on initial prescriptions, and limiting coverage of opioids to a specific network of pharmacies.
• Offer more opioid-free alternatives for pain management, such as physical therapy.

“Employers are negatively impacted by the crisis, but can and will be at the forefront of implementing pivotal solutions to prevent and treat opioid addictions.”

What are opioids?

Opioids are a group of drugs used to treat mild to severe pain, often after surgery. Some are naturally occurring chemicals, such as morphine and codeine, and others are synthetic.