Physician Practice

Report: Follow protocols to help fight opioid addictions

Medical Environment Update, May 23, 2020

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by John Palmer

A new report from medical liability insurer Coverys takes a close look at the growing epidemic of opioid addiction and the high-severity injuries and deaths the problem causes annually.

In addition to the thousands of deaths each year impacting patients, friends, and family members, the issue has been a staggering problem for first responders and hospital personnel as they struggle to prevent and contain the epidemic while the incidence of opioid drug diversion in hospitals continues to rise.

Healthcare providers in U.S. hospitals bear the brunt of the epidemic as they deal with the medical consequences of opioid addiction. From 1999 to 2017, Coverys says, more than 700,000 people died as a result of the opioid epidemic and the number of opioid-related overdoses grew sixfold.

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