Menu
Back to Journals » Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation » Volume 8
The opioid overdose epidemic: opportunities for pharmacists
Authors Wu LT , Ghitza UE, Burns AL, Mannelli P
Received 18 June 2017
Accepted for publication 19 June 2017
Published 31 July 2017 Volume 2017:8 Pages 53—55
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/SAR.S144268
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Li-Tzy Wu,1–4 Udi E Ghitza,5 Anne L Burns,6 Paolo Mannelli,1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 2Department of Medicine, 3Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, 4Center for Child and Family Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 5Center for Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, 6American Pharmacists Association, Washington, DC, USA
The USA is experiencing an opioid overdose epidemic. It has been driven largely by prescription opioids and intensified by a surge of illicit opioids (e.g., heroin and fentanyl).1,2 Drug-involved overdose, mainly opioids (e.g., prescription opioids and heroin), is a leading cause of accidental death in the USA. The opioid overdose epidemic has been escalating consistently for over a decade.2 Every day, an estimated 91 Americans die from opioid-related overdose.3 Opioid overdose appears to have disproportionally affected men, adults aged 25–64 years, and non-Hispanic whites.2
Disclosure
Li-Tzy Wu (UG1DA040317, R01MD007658) and Paolo Mannelli (UG1DA040317) have received research support from the National Institutes of Health. Li-Tzy Wu has received research support from Alkermes Inc. Paolo Mannelli has received research support from Orexo and Alkermes Inc and served on Scientific Advisory Boards for Alkermes Inc. Udi E Ghitza is an employee of the Center for the Clinical Trials Network of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institutes of Health. Dr Udi E Ghitza’s participation in this publication arises from his role as a project scientist on a cooperative agreement (UG1DA040317), but he has not had and will not have any programmatic involvement with the noncooperative agreement grant cited (i.e., R01MD007658). Anne L Burns is Vice President of the Professional Affairs at the American Pharmacists Association. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors, and they do not represent the official position of the US government, American Pharmacists Association, or the publisher of this journal. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.
References
Hedegaard H, Chen LH, Warner M. Drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin: United States, 2000-2013. NCHS Data Brief. 2015;190:1–8. | ||
Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in drug and opioid-involved overdose deaths – United States, 2010-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(5051):1445–1452. | ||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Understanding the Epidemic; 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html. Accessed June 20, 2017. | ||
National Institute of Health (NIH). National Pain Strategy: A Comprehensive Population Health-Level Strategy for Pain; 2017. Available from: https://iprcc.nih.gov/docs/HHSNational_Pain_Strategy.pdf. Accessed June 15, 2017. | ||
Van Zee A. The promotion and marketing of oxycontin: commercial triumph, public health tragedy. Am J Public Health. 2009;99(2):221–227. | ||
Volkow ND, Frieden TR, Hyde PS, Cha SS. Medication-assisted therapies—tackling the opioid-overdose epidemic. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(22):2063–2066. | ||
Jones CM, Paulozzi LJ, Mack KA. Sources of prescription opioid pain relievers by frequency of past-year nonmedical use: United States, 2008-2011. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(5):802–803. | ||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC grand rounds: prescription drug overdoses – a U.S. epidemic. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012;61:10–13. | ||
Brummel A, Lustig A, Westrich K, et al. Best practices: improving patient outcomes and costs in an ACO through comprehensive medication therapy management. J Manag Care Pharm. 2014;20(12):1152–1158. | ||
Green TC, Dauria EF, Bratberg J, Davis CS, Walley AY. Orienting patients to greater opioid safety: models of community pharmacy-based naloxone. Harm Reduct J. 2015;12:25. | ||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Collaborative Practice Agreements and Pharmacists’ Patient Care Services. A Resource for Decision Makers. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 2013. | ||
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). Pharmacy: The Face of Neighborhood Health Care in America. RX IMPACT. 2017. Arlington, VA: NACDS; 2017. | ||
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). ASHP statement on the pharmacist’s role in substance abuse prevention, education, and assistance. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2014;71(3):243–246. | ||
Bachyrycz A, Shrestha S, Bleske BE, Tinker D, Bakhireva LN. Opioid overdose prevention through pharmacy-based naloxone prescription program: innovations in health care delivery. Subst Abus. 2017;38(1):55–60. | ||
Cochran G, Field C, Lawson K, et al. Pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding screening and brief intervention for prescription opioid abuse: a survey of Utah and Texas pharmacists. J Pharm Health Serv Res. 2013;4(2):71–79. | ||
Hagemeier NE, Murawski MM, Lopez NC, Alamian A, Pack RP. Theoretical exploration of Tennessee community pharmacists’ perceptions regarding opioid pain reliever abuse communication. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2014;10(3):562–575. | ||
Hagemeier NE, Alamian A, Murawski MM, Pack RP. Factors associated with provision of addiction treatment information by community pharmacists. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2015;52:67–72. | ||
Bureau of Justice Assistance. Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Program Performance Report; 2016. Available from: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/PDMP_PPR_Jan-Dec13.pdf. Accessed June 13, 2017. | ||
Green TC, Mann MR, Bowman SE, et al. How does use of a prescription monitoring program change pharmacy practice? J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2013;53(3):273–281. | ||
Norwood CW, Wright ER. Integration of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) in pharmacy practice: improving clinical decision-making and supporting a pharmacist’s professional judgment. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2016;12(2):257–266. | ||
Dove Medical Press encourages responsible, free and frank academic debate. The content of the International Medical Case Reports Journal ‘Editorial’ section does not necessarily represent the views of Dove Medical Press, its officers, agents, employees, related entities or the International Medical Case Reports Journal editors. While all reasonable steps have been taken to confirm the content of each Editorial, Dove Medical Press accepts no liability in respect of the content of any Editorial, nor is it responsible for the content and accuracy of any Editorial. |
© 2017 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.