The Opioid Crisis: History, Epidemiology & Treatment

Context: The NIH estimates 115 people die every day from opioid overdose. The CDC estimates the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse is $78.5 billion a year. 20-29% of patients prescribed opioids misuse them, and 8-12% go on to develop opioid use disorder with 4-6% developing heroin dependence. Opioid overdoses have increased 30% from July 2016 to November 2017. Traditional treatment strategies fail many patients, with 40-60% of patients relapsing after rehab. Physicians played a major role in precipitating this crisis, and it's now our duty to fix it. Dr. Zavod will give background on how this crisis progressed, followed by a new approach to treatment that has proven more efficacious than traditional therapies.