What every U.S. employer can do to help end the overdose epidemic

RECOVERY IS GOOD BUSINESS –

August 4, 2021 – The evolving epidemic, which is now being fueled largely by illicitly manufactured and adulterated fentanyl and fentanyl analogs and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is believed to have taken the lives of 93,331 people in the U.S. in 2020, compared with 72,151 in the year before.

An AMA issue brief outlines steps employers can take to support employees’ access to evidence-based treatment.

“Treatment with buprenorphine allows patients with opioid-use disorder to lead satisfying, productive lives,” Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, former AMA president and chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force since its inception in 2014, said in a statement.

This includes being able to work while receiving treatment, Dr. Harris added. Promote harm reduction at work. This may include installing a naloxone rescue station and posting signs telling employees where they can obtain information about naloxone and learn to recognize signs of overdose and be trained to administer naloxone.

Reduce stigma associated with pain, drug use, harm reduction and treatment. Treat all employees with compassion and dignity. Dispel myths about substance-use disorders, opioid therapy, naloxone and promote fact and evidence-based harm-reduction information.