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The Economic Consequences of Opioid Addiction in America

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III. Healthcare <strong>Consequences</strong><br />

Introduction to the <strong>Opioid</strong> Epidemic:<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Burden on the Healthcare System<br />

and Impact on Quality <strong>of</strong> Life<br />

Nicholas E. Hagemeier, PharmD, PhD<br />

Published on: May 11, 2018<br />

<strong>Opioid</strong> analgesics are commonly used to treat acute and chronic pa<strong>in</strong>; <strong>in</strong> 2016 alone,<br />

more than 60 million patients had at least 1 prescription for opioid analgesics filled or<br />

refilled. Despite the ubiquitous use <strong>of</strong> these agents, the effectiveness <strong>of</strong> long-term use<br />

<strong>of</strong> opioids for chronic non-cancer pa<strong>in</strong> management is questionable, yet l<strong>in</strong>ks among<br />

long-term use, addiction, and overdose deaths are well established. Because <strong>of</strong><br />

overprescrib<strong>in</strong>g and misuse, an opioid epidemic has developed <strong>in</strong> the United States.<br />

<strong>The</strong> health and economic burdens <strong>of</strong> opioid abuse on <strong>in</strong>dividuals, their families, and<br />

society are substantial. Part 1 <strong>of</strong> this supplement will provide a background on the<br />

burden <strong>of</strong> pa<strong>in</strong> and the impact <strong>of</strong> opioid abuse on <strong>in</strong>dividuals, their families, and society;<br />

the attempts to remedy this burden through prescription opioid use; and the eventual<br />

downward spiral <strong>in</strong>to the current opioid epidemic, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g an overview <strong>of</strong> opioid<br />

analgesics and opioid use disorder and the rise <strong>in</strong> opioid-related deaths.<br />

Understand<strong>in</strong>g Pa<strong>in</strong><br />

Pa<strong>in</strong> affects more <strong>America</strong>ns than<br />

diabetes, heart disease, and cancer<br />

comb<strong>in</strong>ed. <strong>The</strong>re are several<br />

approaches to classify<strong>in</strong>g pa<strong>in</strong>,<br />

<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g by duration, which is the<br />

most common (eg, acute, subacute,<br />

or chronic); by type (eg, nociceptive,<br />

neuropathic, <strong>in</strong>flammatory); and by<br />

<strong>in</strong>tensity (eg, mild, moderate, or<br />

severe). Data from 2012 estimated<br />

that 126.1 million adults <strong>in</strong> the<br />

United States suffer from pa<strong>in</strong>. This<br />

pa<strong>in</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>ates from a variety <strong>of</strong><br />

conditions, diseases, and events. For<br />

example, 80% <strong>of</strong> patients undergo<strong>in</strong>g<br />

surgery will experience postoperative<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>,<br />

with fewer than half report<strong>in</strong>g adequate<br />

pa<strong>in</strong> relief. Sixty percent <strong>of</strong> women experienc<strong>in</strong>g their<br />

first childbirth rate their pa<strong>in</strong> as severe, with up to 18% report<strong>in</strong>g persistent pa<strong>in</strong> 1 year<br />

after delivery. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to 2016 survey data from the National Center for Health<br />

Page 41 <strong>of</strong> 159

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