Nationwide deaths from drug overdose have been steadily increasing since 1990 and are a leading cause of injury death. More than half of drug overdose deaths in the United States are related to pharmaceuticals and 71 percent of these involve prescription painkillers, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In California, the number of deaths involving opioid prescription medications has risen almost 17 percent in the past nine years. As a result, policymakers are struggling to develop methods to reduce the risk of such medications while making sure patients that rely on them for pain management have access.
On April 9, the School of Medicine will host a forum examining the challenges of balancing the benefits and costs of prescription opioids and discussing potential solutions. The event is part of the Stanford Health Policy Forum series and will be moderated by Paul Costello, the medical school’s chief communications officer. Stanford addiction medicine expert Anna Lembke, MD, and pain medicine expert Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, will participate in the forum.
For our local readers: The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 12:30-2 p.m. in Berg Hall at the Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge.
Previously: Stanford addiction expert: It’s often a "subtle journey" from prescription-drug use to abuse, Why doctors prescribe opioids to patients they know are abusing them, Do opium and opioids increase mortality risk? and How to combat prescription-drug abuse
Photo by Erin DeMay
