The opioid epidemic has hit people from all walks of life. In my duties as an acute care nurse practitioner in a busy suburban emergency department I have taken care of a lot of people who face opioid addiction, ranging from young men to elderly woman.
It is an epidemic that doesn’t discriminate. There are some people who have been hit particularly hard.
In my practice, these tend to be people with housing insecurity, job instability and who are marginalized for an array of reasons. We know that people with substance use disorder often have chronic pain or medical issues. Co-morbid trauma-related mental health issues are also very common. Efforts to reduce access to opioids has been a major component of policy and practice. This has included prescribing limits and prescription monitoring programs, with the intent that limiting access will reduce the likelihood of either initial use or ongoing substance misuse. Read More
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