The Opioid crisis is arguably one of the largest in recent medical history within the United States. In 2016, approximately $95 billion was lost due to this disaster ( Dori, 2016 ). All this has resulted from the increased use of opioids by American residents. Part of the reason why government agencies have intervened in an attempt to combat this crisis is due to the fact that the drug has negatively affected workers in most Companies, thus further aggravating the situation. It is apparent that Opioids have posed a great threat to the health of American citizens as will be illustrated below.
Employees represent the greatest number of individuals who have been affected by the Opioid issue. This drug has in most cases been prescribed as a pain killer to assist ailing individuals owing to its pain-relieving abilities. It, nevertheless, occurred the majority of the individuals who started using this drug ended up being addicted in the long-run ( Stephen, 2017 ). Due to this, there has been increased costs at workplaces, reduced labor mobility and productivity, and absenteeism among workers, in addition to other complex issues ( Stephen, 2017 ). Besides, the problem has led to the great necessity of increasing workers' compensation schemes to cater for the health of workers who are using the medication. Owing to this, President Donald Trump confirmed that this crisis was an epidemic emergency in October 2017.
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A great majority of Opioid deaths result from overdoses, and this has distressed many families and communities across America. Further still, the drug is responsible for the increased mortality rate among middle-aged Americans. It has been estimated that up to $25.5 billion is lost every year by employees who use this prescription as a result of absenteeism from work ( Dori, 2016 ). As a result, many businesses have come up with a strict policies aimed at regulating the use of such medication at work ( Stephen, 2017 ). The American Medical Association, however, recognizes that people suffering from addiction resulting from the use of this drug can be equal to diabetic patients. They have a right to be treated like any other group of medically ill individuals. In order to regulate the use of Opioid some of the methods being used involve: limiting the number of pills in the first prescription, coming up with better alternatives to be used, ensuring that there is limited coverage of the drugs across the country and reaching out to people to educate them on the dangers of using the drug ( Dori, 2016 ).
To sum it all up, it is evident that Opioids have posed a great threat to the health of Americans. At first, they may appear like ordinary drugs prescribed to relieve pain experienced by individuals. The drug, nevertheless, ends up causing addiction problems among its users, with the employees being the most affected lot. The government and other agencies are constantly working in a bid to come up with a long-lasting solution. In the meantime, individuals are advised to use alternative forms of medication to avoid falling victim to this catastrophe.
References
Dori, M. (2016, March), A Hidden Epidemic , HR Magazine. pp 58-59
Stephen, M. (2017, November), Employers take Steps to Address Opioid Crisis , SHRM Resources. pp 31-36
