New CDC Report Shows Opioid Epidemic Still Raging

Written by: Charles A. Dorminy, Esq.

A report released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention July 6, 2017, shows that the opioid epidemic is still raging. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/opioids/index.html

The report showed that providers in the highest prescribing counties prescribed six times more opioids per person than the lowest prescribing counties in 2015. Half of US counties had a decrease in the amount of opioids (MME*) prescribed per person from 2010 to 2015. The MME prescribed per person in 2015 was about three times as high as in 1999.

Counties covering the majority of Eastern Tennessee and Northern Alabama appear to be tops on the list. According to the report, the amount of opioids prescribed per capital in those counties were in the highest range, from 959 to 5,543 MME, morphine milligram equivalents. This calculation is a way to calculate the total amount of opioids, accounting for differences in opioid drug type and strength.

Some characteristics of counties with higher opioid prescribing include small cities or large towns, having a higher percent of white residents, more dentists and primary care physicians, more people who are uninsured or unemployed, and more people who have diabetes, arthritis, or disability.

In Georgia, metro areas seemed to skirt the issue, although the higher populations most likely accounted for the lower per capita rates. Some counties in the highest range include South Georgia counties like Tift, Ware, Crisp, and Coffee. A group of counties in Northeast South Carolina and Southern North Carolina also were included in the highest range of MME per capita.

The report makes clear that, although the amount of opioids being prescribed may have decreased overall since their peak in 2010, the epidemic continues. Providers need to be aware of the issue and of ways to address the problem. As mentioned by the report, healthcare providers can follow the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. This includes recommendations such as using opioids only when benefits are likely to outweigh risks. Providers can also start with the lowest effective dose of immediate-release opioids. For acute pain, providers should prescribe only the number of days that the pain is expected to be severe enough to require opioids. Reassessing the benefits and risks should also be considered prior to increasing dosages. Of course, providers may also use the state-based prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) which help identify patients at risk of addiction or overdose.

Each of these steps should be addressed and promoted by health systems when considering education for their medical staffs. As long as the opioid epidemic continues, healthcare providers will continue to face liability challenges related to their prescribing techniques. Without the proper preventative measures, healthcare providers will continue to be threatened by the current epidemic.