Medicare Study Reveals Link Between Overdose Survivors and Opioid Painkiller Prescriptions
- A new Medicare study highlights the alarming trend of overdose survivors receiving opioid painkillers over addiction treatment medications.
- Many of these survivors then tragically succumb to overdose due to the lack of adequate treatment.
- The study sheds light on the critical need for improved care and support for overdose survivors.
A recent study highlights missed opportunities in treating drug overdose survivors under Medicare, emphasizing the challenges of managing chronic pain. Despite recommendations for comprehensive care, many survivors received opioid painkillers instead of addiction treatments, leading to subsequent overdoses and fatalities. The study revealed that only 4% of survivors received addiction treatments like buprenorphine, while 53% were prescribed opioid painkillers. Additionally, 17% experienced a second nonfatal overdose within a year, with 1% succumbing to overdose. The lack of adequate support for overdose survivors is a systemic issue in the U.S. healthcare system, exacerbated by stigma and insufficient public education on opioid use disorder medications. The study underscores the need for improved access to life-saving medications and closer monitoring of patients post-overdose to mitigate overdose risks. Medicare's recent expansion of coverage to include methadone aims to address longstanding treatment gaps in this population.