Upwards of 7 million Americans could develop an addiction to or dependence on opioids following a surgical procedure.
While society tends to link the opioid epidemic to chronic pain, a 2016 national survey conducted by Wakefield Research revealed that even short-term use of opioids to treat pain after surgery is leading to high rates of addiction and dependence. In fact, one-in-10 patients prescribed an opioid to manage postsurgical pain report becoming addicted to or dependent on the drug. Based on the number of patients receiving opioid prescriptions after an operation, upwards of 7 million Americans could develop an addiction or dependence following a surgical procedure.
Further, the survey found that 91 percent of surgeons feel pressure to prescribe more opioids than patients actually need. However, 70 percent of surgeons said that they are interested in non-opioid options, if they knew the non-opioid option could effectively manage their patients’ pain.
To review additional findings from the 2016 Choices Matter survey, please download the survey report below.
