Summary: Since Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, agreed to close their company by paying $8 billion in compensation, several other investigations and legal battles have begun. The Justice Department has filed a legal case against Walmart retail and wholesale for dispensing opioids without taking a good look at prescriptions, thus blaming it for having played a role in the opioid epidemic. However, Walmart disagreed, saying it could not come in between the doctor and patients and reported suspicious prescriptions to DEA. Ultimately, such legal battles might also impact patients who need opioids to control their chronic pains.

Since the opioid epidemic has come into the limelight, things have been changing fast. New regulations and prescription guidelines have been introduced by different stakeholders. However, due to pressures from various groups, multiple investigations have also begun, and so has the blame game.

Thus, the Department of Justice now alleges that Walmart has played a significant role in the opioid crisis. Moreover, the department says that Walmart’s retail chain and distribution unit are to be blamed for the epidemic.

The Justice Department says that Walmart did not pay adequate attention to many things, and thus they broke the law. They continued to dispense opioids to hundreds and thousands of people with invalid prescriptions and failed to report suspicious opioid orders. The department has filed a legal case against Walmart in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

The department says that as the largest pharmacy chain, it has the means to prevent violations. However, they did not take appropriate measures.

However, Walmart has blasted the Justice Department for inventing some kinds of theories. They say that doctors prescribed, and Walmart pharmacies were bound to fulfill prescriptions. Therefore, Walmart cannot come in between the doctor and the patient.

However, the Justice Department did not agree with Walmart’s explanation, saying that Walmart knew that many of those prescriptions were not for true medical purposes. Not only that, but the Justice Department also blames Walmart for failing to report these issues to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

However, Walmart did not agree with most of this, as it says there has been a failure at the end of regulatory agencies, including DEA. They say they have empowered their pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions if they find them doubtful or if the opioids were not prescribed for the right reasons. On its end, Walmart claims it has sent tens of thousands of investigative leads and blocked thousands of questionable doctors. However, DEA failed to act on these leads.

The Justice Department has been pursuing all the companies it deems responsible for the opioid epidemic. However, things changed after Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, pleaded guilty and agreed to pay more than $8 billion to close the company.

However, all these legal tussles and blame games are not good news for people living with chronic pain and struggling with opioid addiction. It means those who need opioids for chronic pain treatment would now struggle to get prescription refills and those seeking opioid addiction treatment may face difficulty as well.

There is no doubt that doctors and pharmacists should take extra care when prescribing and dispensing controlled substances. However, abuse of specific medications by some individuals should not result in the inaccessibility of these beneficial remedies for those who need them most, including those seeking chronic pain treatment or opioid addiction treatment.

It is true that the opioid epidemic has caused many issues. However, if opioids become difficult to get, many of those addicted to opioids will start using other substances. However, when it comes to people living with chronic pains, they have limited options, as in many cases, opioids are irreplaceable. Thus, if the industry becomes too hesitant to produce, pharmacies reluctant to dispense, and doctors unwilling to prescribe, millions of people would suffer from pain and other severe health issues.

Summary: Chronic pain is among the most common comorbidities in those being treated for opioid use disorder (OUD). However, a new study found that in most cases, doctors treating OUD do not pay sufficient attention to chronic pain management, resulting in higher opioid relapse. They also found that those treated with medications like methadone or buprenorphine had better pain relief and, thus, better treatment outcomes. Therefore, researchers recommend that doctors focus on managing comorbidities when treating OUD.

When we think of people living with OUD, we completely neglect that many of them live with severe chronic pain such as, neck pain, complex regional pain syndrome, etc. This poorly managed chronic pain may be related to poor treatment outcomes in many. Studies show that chronic pain is the most common comorbid condition in those living with OUD.

 

Recently, the Journal of Pain published a patient survey, finding that two-thirds of those treated for OUD reported that their chronic pain was not managed well. Even worse, 47% reported that their pain worsened over time, thus increasing the risk of opioid relapse.

 

The opioid crisis continues to be a significant health problem, and it is showing no sign of slowing down. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic only increased opioid use disorder (OUD) and drug overdose-related deaths. This only underlines the need to pay more attention to the effective opioid addiction treatment.

 

Health experts say that the problem in tackling the opioid crisis is not just in lack of access to opioid treatment, which is true. Still, other factors make treatment more difficult and result in high relapse rates. In addition, most people treated with OUD have other comorbidities, with many living with mental health issues and chronic pain.

 

Although it is no secret that chronic pain and OUD are related health issues. However, it is unknown how ill-managed pain in those living with OUD may affect treatment outcomes for the condition. Health experts say that one of the problems is that treating doctors focus significantly on OUD, but less on comorbidities, especially issues like chronic pain.

 

In the new survey, researchers analyzed the data of 14,449 patients getting treated in 225 OUD treatment centers. They found that one-third of all the patients had significant chronic pain. Out of these patients, just one-third reported that their chronic pain was managed properly with pharmaceutical drugs. Moreover, almost half of all the patients said the pain was the primary reason for opioid relapse.

 

Researchers say this is a massive sample size, and they were amazed to see that so many patients are not being treated adequately for their chronic pain. Many of these patients have even used street drugs like heroin to manage their pain.

 

When researchers interacted with doctors treating OUD, they were often told that treating pain was not their priority or not within the scope of their practice.

 

Researchers say that there is a need to understand that pain is among the most significant causes of opioid relapse. Hence, effective treatment of OUD must include adequate pain relief.

 

The study had another unexpected finding related to opioid relapse. In the survey, 20% of those treated for OUD said that they would return to opioid use once they overcame their addiction. It means that treatments are not preparing them well for post-treatment life, and many of them still view opioid use as an option.

 

The study also found that those treated with OUD with medications had a higher success rate. Thus, those treated with buprenorphine and methadone reported better treatment satisfaction. It seems that one of the reasons for a greater success rate with these medications is that they also help with chronic pain treatment.

 

Thus, health experts say addiction treatment will only improve if different health specialists work together. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has shown that interdisciplinary collaboration using technologies like telemedicine is not that difficult.

 

Of course, researchers say that the study has also raised certain questions, like the role of opioids in pain management. As a result, the researchers suggest that the use of opioids for managing chronic pain should be limited.

 

Additionally, researchers say that one of the issues is that doctors often do not view chronic pain as one of the significant issues. They forget that this pain may be due to comorbidities like depression and mood disorders requiring treatment. If these comorbidities remain unmanaged, relapse is more likely.

 

Hence, researchers concluded that OUD should be treated by multi-specialist teams, including pain management, psychiatry, psychology, integrative medicine, and physical therapy. In addition, we should treat the patient as a whole and not merely focus on reducing pain numbers on a scale.

Summary: Opioid epidemic has been ongoing for a long. However, the covid-19 pandemic has made the opioid crisis worse for many reasons. First, it appears that due to social isolation, reduced income, and other reasons, people are seeking relief from opioids. Additionally, the opioid crisis is also being made worse due to reduced attention and allocation of resources, as everyone is focusing more on countering covid-19. However, researchers warn that this would have long-term adverse consequences, causing a prolonged upsurge in opioid misuse or substance abuse disorder (SUD).

 

Opioid overdose is among the major causes of death among young adults and is a highly preventable condition. Even covid-19 epidemic would cause less mortality among healthy adults, which means that one can reduce the risk of contracting the infection through various interventions. However, those living with substance abuse disorder (SUD) are less likely to take these measures.

 

The opioid overdose epidemic has been ongoing in various parts of the US for a long time. However, in early 2020, another epidemic, or rather a pandemic, struck the world, causing millions of deaths. However, covid-19 is far from over. It is subdued but not conquered. It keeps coming back in waves as new strains keep emerging. Moreover, there is no vaccine that can protect people from covid-19 in all cases.

 

The problem is that people are more likely to see drugs during the pandemic and lockdowns. This is evident from the nationwide data. People feel more stressed and isolated, and thus they seek relief from drugs. Hence, looking for a timely opioid addiction treatment becomes a non-negotiable way out.

 

Although, covid-19 is not as significant a threat as it used to be due to mass vaccination. Nonetheless, it remains a significant public health threat. Moreover, current vaccines do not provide complete protection, and even worse, the immunity provided by these vaccines is waning in many, and they need a booster dose.

 

Opioids suppress the respiratory system, worsening covid-19 outcomes

 

Although most people may visualize opioid epidemics and covid-19 as separate disorders, that is not the case. Opioids suppress the respiratory system, harm pulmonary health, and covid-19 mainly causes lung infection.

 

Studies show that those living with SUD are at a 30% greater risk of hospitalization and are much more likely to diet due to severe covid-19 infection. In addition, many studies suggest that opioid use disorder increases the risk of contracting covid-19 by several times.

 

However, the problem is that covid-19 is only making the opioid epidemic worse. Data suggests that since the beginning of covid-19, opioid overdose-related deaths have increased in many parts of the nation.

 

Health experts worry that covid-19 pandemic is laying the grounds for the long-term resurgence of SUD. There are many reasons, including social isolation, increased mental stress, loss of employment, reduced income, and more. In addition, Covid-19 and opiate dependence is causing what researchers call “deaths of despair.”

 

Although we are confident that every covid-19 wave will weaken, this pandemic will end in the long run. However, even if this pandemic tsunami recedes, it is going to leave much damage behind, causing a resurgence in the opioid crisis.

 

These issues are not only due to stress or social isolation. Covid-19 has also disrupted SUD treatment and social support infrastructure, as everyone is focusing on controlling the more severe condition, covid-19. It means that many people living with SUD have discontinued their treatment, and now bringing them back to the clinics would require much effort.

 

Doctors say that people need to understand that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection. Unfortunately, healthcare workers and even family members have lost connection with those living with drug addiction.

 

Thus, the natural way to prevent further worsening of this condition is to start reconnecting with those living with opiate use disorder or SUD. Moreover, it is worth understanding that the opioid crisis may cause more mortalities in the long run than the current covid-19 wave. Of course, an adequate covid-19 response is essential, but it should not come at the expense of reduced attention to drug addiction.

 

Another less discussed reason for the opioid overdose epidemic is that covid-19 response has robbed healthcare workers of certain resources, as most of the sources are now being used to fight covid-19. Many of those affected by the opioid overdose epidemic see those poor policies as the significant causes driving the epidemic.