May 12, 2017

FEATURED ISSUE
Opioid crisis
Opioid-related overdoses account for approximately 30,000 deaths a year, making this a serious public health issue. On an average day, more than 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed, and this number does not take into account the people using someone else’s prescription drugs, using medications differently from prescribed, non-medical use, and other illegal uses. The recent increase in opioid-analgesic drug-poisoning deaths seems to indicate the need for better approaches for chronic pain management. For the safety of your personal health, consider the risks and dangers of opioids and what your options are if you get addicted.

ISSUE: The growing threat from opioid pain management options.

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position on issues. For those interested in this month’s issue, the following articles have been selected to give you a range of related-topics to get you started on your research.

The U.S. Opioid Epidemic
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Overdose Death Rates (January 2017)
National Institute on Drug Abuse

CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (3/15/17)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Chronic Pain Management and Opioid Misuse: Guidance for Family Physicians (4/1/17)
by David T O’Gurek, MD and Richard Rich Jr, MD
American Family Physician

Medicare Takes ‘Big Brother’ Approach to Opioid Abuse (1/12/17)
by Pat Anson
Pain News Network

Momentum: Natural Solutions Increasingly Seen as Solution to Opioid Crisis (4/14/17)
Alliance for Natural Health USA

6 Natural Remedies For Crippling Opiate Withdrawal (3/8/17)
by Maggie Tennis
Honey Colony

Why Would Regulators Ban An Herbal Treatment For Recovering Opioid Addicts? (3/23/17)
by Georgi Boorman
The Federalist