Sad, But True

Over the past five years, ER visits for prescription painkiller abuse is up 111% according to new figures from the CDC, as reported by Reuters. Oxycodone alone caused over 105,000 visits, an increase of 152% over the same period.

Clearly, there is no easy solution to this problem. Substance abuse problems destroy lives - a fact lived over and over again in ERs across the country. At the same time, painkiller abuse ties up ER beds and adds to healthcare costs. I don't have the answer, but hopefully there are people much smarter than I am working on this issue.