The epidemic of prescription drug overdoses continues to grow. According to recent statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Pennsylvania ranks 10th in the nation for overdose deaths. What can Pennsylvania physicians do to address this epidemic in their own practices?
Guidelines for prescribing pain medications include:
- Screen and monitor for substance abuse and mental health problems
- Prescribe pain medication only when other treatments have not been effective
- Prescribe only the quantity of medication needed based on the expected length of pain
- Use patient-provider pain agreements combined with urine tests for people using prescription pain medicine long term
- Talk with patients about safely disposing of medications
The Pennsylvania Medical Society also is supporting legislation to create an improved electronic controlled substance database in Pennsylvania to help lower non-medical use of controlled substances and improve access to care.
In addition, it may be important for physicians to provide overdose education along with prescription painkillers.
“A lot of times overdoses will occur over a period of a couple of hours. Since it’s a slow process, there’s time to respond if you’re trained to recognize what might happen,” Dr. Campopiano said.
Opioid education should include signs of an accidental overdose, much in the way we would educate the family of a new diabetic to recognize hypoglycemia,” said Melinda Campopiano, MD, a family physician who focuses on addiction medicine.
Signs of overdose include:
- Difficulty waking up
- Inability to focus
- Jumbled speech or inability to speak
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Limpness
- Bluish skin
- Irregular or shallow breathing
If any of these signs are present, patients and their families should call 911. Families also should be told to roll an unconscious person onto his or her side while waiting for paramedics and to begin rescue breathing if necessary.