Western States Medical Monographs. Public Health in the Midst of a National Opioid Epidemic: A Non-Systematic Review through the Lens of El Paso County Colorado.

摘要

In the United States in the last 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of opioid pain medications as well as their associated negative side effects including misuse, abuse, addiction, and death. Promising strategies to curb this opioid epidemic include establishing safer prescribing practices for health professionals, drug take back programs, community education, increased Naloxone availability, and substance abuse treatment. With increasing numbers of opioid related overdose deaths in El Paso County and limited current outreach to address opioid misuse, the paper includes several practical recommendations for the El Paso County Public Health Department to become more involved.