Misperceptions about the ‘Opioid Epidemic:’ Exploring the Facts

Author ORCID Identifier

Cathy Carlson:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1272-0967

Publication Title

Pain Management Nursing

ISSN

15249042

E-ISSN

43862

Document Type

Article

Abstract

A plethora of statistics and claims exist concerning the rise in prescription opioid use and the increase in opioid-related deaths. Eleven misperceptions were identified that underlie some of the growing national concern and backlash against opioid use. Misperceptions include the number of opioid overdose deaths, the quality of government-sponsored data and guidelines, the impact of opioid dose escalation on overdose risk, postoperative opioid use associated with long-term use, and the link between prescription opioid use and heroin initiation. Implications for research, practice and education include (a) a call for improvement in data recording, (b) unbiased and clear reporting of information, (c) a call for health care providers to ask critical questions when presented with data, and (d) a call for policymakers to avoid unnecessarily restrictive practices that are founded in fear and may cause unintended harm to patients in pain.

First Page

100

Last Page

109

Publication Date

2-1-2020

DOI

10.1016/j.pmn.2019.05.004

PubMed ID

31327624

Department

School of Nursing

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