There is a lot of information, and unfortunately, deadly misinformation about prescription opioids circulating the internet and other major media outlets. Simply put, there is a lot that the average American adult is unaware of, and what they think they know isn’t always rooted in science. In the United States, we use the vast majority of the world’s supply of prescription opioids—despite the fact that we make only 5 percent of the world’s population.
While prescription opioids are abused across the globe, America has the market share of the problem. In an attempt to shed some light on both the opioid addiction crisis and potential solutions—Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins Anderson Cooper of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” for a town hall special—to discuss the prescription drug abuse epidemic in the U.S. The presentation, “Prescription Addiction: Made in the USA” airs tonight, May 11, 2016, at 9 P.M. EDT. It is likely to be more than informative and eye opening for many Americans.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a remarkable understanding about pain narcotics, addiction and how opioid addiction became a pervasive problem in the United States. The Chief Medical Correspondent wrote an op-ed published today by CNN, which covers many aspects of the epidemic. But, perhaps most intriguing is his belief that doctors were responsible for creating the scourge we face, and it will fall on doctors to spearhead efforts for ending the epidemic. Gupta writes:
The fact is, we have accepted the tall tales and Pollyannaish promises of what these medications could do for too long. As a community, we weren’t skeptical enough. We didn’t ask enough questions. We accepted flimsy scientific data as gospel and preached it to our patients in a chamber that echoed loudly for decades.”
He points out that while the epidemic is the result of the medical community acting on opioid prescribing recommendations they were not based on fact, doctors continue to recklessly prescribe these deadly narcotics despite knowing that the drugs should be doled out as sparsely as possible. He cites a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine which showed that 91% of opioid overdose survivors managed to obtain another prescription—usually from the physician who prescribed the narcotics the patient overdosed on in the first place.
Gupta calls on prescribing physicians to:
- Engage with patients and discuss treatment with them.
- Set realistic expectations for patients.
- Conduct follow-up conversations with patients to gauge treatment efficacy.
“It is not too late. In order for this American-made epidemic to finally end, however, it is the American doctors who must lead the way,” writes Gupta.
Remember to tune in tonight, or catch it on DEMAND, to see CNN’s “Prescription Addiction: Made in the USA” May 11, 2016, at 9 P.M. EDT. Join in the conversation and share this family and friends. If you’d like, you can view a short trailer about the town hall meeting by clicking here.
