TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Opioid misuse: a review of the main issues, challenges, and strategies
JO  - International journal of environmental research and public health
A1  - Biancuzzi, Helena
A1  - Dal Mas, Francesca
A1  - Brescia, Valerio
A1  - Campostrini, Stefano
A1  - Cascella, Marco
A1  - Cuomo, Arturo
A1  - Cobianchi, Lorenzo
A1  - Dorken-Gallastegi, Ander
A1  - Gebran, Anthony
A1  - Kaafarani, Haytham M.
A1  - Marinangeli, Franco
A1  - Massaro, Maurizio
A1  - Renne, Angela
A1  - Scaioli, Giacomo
A1  - Bednarova, Rym
A1  - Vittori, Alessandro
A1  - Miceli, Luca
SP  - e11754
EP  - e11754
VL  - 19
IS  - 18
N2  - In the United States, from 1999 to 2019, opioid overdose, either regularly prescribed or illegally acquired, was the cause of death for nearly 500,000 people. In addition to this pronounced mortality burden that has increased gradually over time, opioid overdose has significant morbidity with severe risks and side effects. As a result, opioid misuse is a cause for concern and is considered an epidemic. This article examines the trends and consequences of the opioid epidemic presented in recent international literature, reflecting on the causes of this phenomenon and the possible strategies to address it. The detailed analysis of 33 international articles highlights numerous impacts in the social, public health, economic, and political spheres. The prescription opioid epidemic is an almost exclusively North American problem. This phenomenon should be carefully evaluated from a healthcare systems perspective, for consequential risks and harms of aggressive opioid prescription practices for pain management. Appropriate policies are required to manage opioid use and prevent abuse efficiently. Examples of proper policies vary, such as the use of validated questionnaires for the early identification of patients at risk of addiction, the effective use of regional and national prescription monitoring programs, and the proper dissemination and translation of knowledge to highlight the risks of prescription opioid abuse.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1661-7827
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811754
ID  - ref1
ER  -