CDC - Injury - Poisoning in the United States - Issue Brief

Free Conference Call Invitation:
Opioid Analgesics—The Epidemiology of Misuse and Advice on Prescribing

The United States is currently facing an overdose epidemic involving opioid analgesics. Most overdoses involve the misuse or abuse of these drugs, and clinicians can play a key role in preventing these events.

On Tuesday, August 17 at 1 p.m. EDT, all interested individuals are welcome to participate in

.a free conference call to learn more about:
..characteristics of opioid overdoses;
...prescription histories of those affected;
....how to assess the risk of opioid treatment, determine the correct dosage, and monitor the course of therapy; and
.....how to handle problems that occur with drug misuse during the course of care.

Participate by phone on Tuesday, August 17 at 1 p.m. EDT,
Dial: 1-888-790-6180
Enter passcode: 8107342

Learn more about the call, including details on featured expert speakers.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/callinfo.asp

See also: CDC's issue brief on unintentional drug poisoning in the United States.
CDC - Injury - Poisoning in the United States - Issue Brief



CDC’s Issue Brief: Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States




More than 26,000 deaths from unintentional drug poisoning occurred in the United States in 2006. Opioid pain medications (such as oxycodone and methadone) were involved in more than half of these deaths. Overall, the unintentional drug poisoning death rate has been rising in recent years and more than doubled between 1999 and 2006.

In response to this increase, CDC’s Injury Center has developed an issue brief titled Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States [PDF 1.6MB]. This document also available in HTML.

The brief summarizes the most recent information about deaths and emergency department visits resulting from drug overdoses. The following information is included:

•Overdose trends,
•Drugs most commonly involved,
•Geographic regions and populations most severely affected, and
•Recommendations on how health care providers, private insurance providers, and state and federal agencies can work to prevent unintentional drug overdoses.