gsb

The 2010 Government Supported Benefits 'Virtual' Summit
A unique web-based conference and series of accredited on-line self-learning programs focused on the impact of Heathcare reform on providers and patient care.

Pain Management / Opioid Abuse

Needs Assessment Summary
Opioids are important drugs to treat both acute and chronic pain.  Pain is a serious health problem in the United States that is undertreated with 19% of adults in the United States report chronic pain and 34% recurrent pain. According to the American Pain Society, pain is often managed inadequately, despite the ready availability of safe and effective treatments.  This includes the use of opioids, and other agents in some pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain.   The number of prescriptions for opioids has increased dramatically.  From 1999 to 2002 oxycodone prescriptions in the United States increased by 50%, fentanyl by 150%, and morphine by 60%. From 1992 to 2002 prescriptions for non-controlled substances increased by 56.6% while prescriptions for controlled substances increased by 154.3%.   

This use is associated with substantial pain relief but also common and significant adverse events, including death.    During the 1999-2002 time period there was a 91.2% increase in deaths due to opioid poisoning.  Increased opioid use is also associated with an increase in dependence and abuse.   The number of people who indicate that they abuse controlled prescription drugs in the U.S. increased from 7.8 million in 1992 to 15.1 million in 2003, with the number admitting to abusing prescription controlled substances being 23% higher than the combined number who admit to abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin.


Opioid use and dependence is associated with a substantial increase in economic costs including medical costs.  The total economic cost of drug abuse was estimated to be $180.0 billion in 2002 with 8.7% related to health care costs, 71.2% loss in productivity and the remaining 20.1% other costs (Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States, 1992-2002, December 2004) .  A number of innovative solutions have been introduced into the opioid market, or are in the pipeline, with the goal of decreasing abuse of prescribed opioids.  There also is significant controversy related to the use of new agents, such as the combination of buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, and naloxone, an opioid antagonist.  This program is designed to provide an update on opioid use in chronic non-malignant pain, the impact of opioid abuse on costs and morbidity, and the treatment of opioid dependence.

Learning Objectives:
Following completion of this program, participants will be able to:

Agenda