Opioid abuse statistics can be alarming. According to the CDC, opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled since 1999, and it is estimated that 78 people die every day in the U.S.
Katherine Schofield, Ph.D., CSP, ARM, CHST, CSRM, from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, shared those facts during her presentation, “Preventing Opioid Overuse in Workers’ Compensation,” on Monday, June 27. Most people know the prescription forms of opioids--OxyContin, Vicodin and morphine, methadone and fentanyl. Typically, opioids are prescribed to control moderate-to-severe pain, and are often prescribed after an acute injury or surgery.