Opioid Misuse: A Review of the Main Issues, Challenges, and Strategies

In the United States, from 1999 to 2019, opioid overdose, either regularly prescribed or illegally acquired, was the cause of death for nearly 500,000 people. In addition to this pronounced mortality burden that has increased gradually over time, opioid overdose has significant morbidity with severe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-09, Vol.19 (18), p.11754
Main Authors: Biancuzzi, Helena, Dal Mas, Francesca, Brescia, Valerio, Campostrini, Stefano, Cascella, Marco, Cuomo, Arturo, Cobianchi, Lorenzo, Dorken-Gallastegi, Ander, Gebran, Anthony, Kaafarani, Haytham M, Marinangeli, Franco, Massaro, Maurizio, Renne, Angela, Scaioli, Giacomo, Bednarova, Rym, Vittori, Alessandro, Miceli, Luca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Analgesics, Opioid - adverse effects
Drug abuse
Drug overdose
Drug Overdose - epidemiology
Epidemics
Fentanyl
Health care
Heroin
Humans
Knowledge management
Literature reviews
Morbidity
Narcotics
Opiate Overdose
Opioid-Related Disorders - etiology
Opioids
Overdose
Pain
Pain management
Patients
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
Prescription drugs
Public health
Review
Trends
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:In the United States, from 1999 to 2019, opioid overdose, either regularly prescribed or illegally acquired, was the cause of death for nearly 500,000 people. In addition to this pronounced mortality burden that has increased gradually over time, opioid overdose has significant morbidity with severe risks and side effects. As a result, opioid misuse is a cause for concern and is considered an epidemic. This article examines the trends and consequences of the opioid epidemic presented in recent international literature, reflecting on the causes of this phenomenon and the possible strategies to address it. The detailed analysis of 33 international articles highlights numerous impacts in the social, public health, economic, and political spheres. The prescription opioid epidemic is an almost exclusively North American problem. This phenomenon should be carefully evaluated from a healthcare systems perspective, for consequential risks and harms of aggressive opioid prescription practices for pain management. Appropriate policies are required to manage opioid use and prevent abuse efficiently. Examples of proper policies vary, such as the use of validated questionnaires for the early identification of patients at risk of addiction, the effective use of regional and national prescription monitoring programs, and the proper dissemination and translation of knowledge to highlight the risks of prescription opioid abuse.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph191811754