Fighting the Rise in Opioid Abuse

Best way to fight the opioid problem? Disposing of the extra drugs.
By Lydia Richins, Marketing —
Medicare May Be to Blame
There’s no debating the increase in opioid abuse over the years. Anyone who tries arguing it isn’t looking at the statistics. One can debate the cause of this growing trend. One theory is that Medicaid is creating opportunities for fraud and abuse. For example, a GAO report found that 170,000 Medicaid patients were receiving prescriptions from five or more doctors. Another report found that overdose deaths were increasing twice as fast in states that elected to expand Medicaid.
Walmart’s Involvement
One corporation putting a foot forward to combat this vice is none other than Walmart. They recently partnered with DisposeRX in order to supply a solution that aid in the disposal of unused prescriptions. This solution would be provided with each prescription since approximately one-third of all prescriptions sold go unused. These unused pills are prime targets for children, teens, or other home invaders. Walmart believes this solution could encourage parents to get rid of unused pills before they fall into the wrong hands.
Our Societal Responsibility
Gary Doan explains the key to overcoming this trend lies not with the government or corporations, but with society. Without society to back initiatives, none will have enough traction to make a sustainable difference. While technologies such as EyeDetect® and IntegrityDetect™ are a powerful eye lie detector and integrity assessment tools that could help catch criminals or see who are prone to drug use. These tools are most beneficial in testing suspected persons of drug abuse. Perhaps the best tool is to use preventative measures –such as disposing of lethal prescription medication. That means each of us can participate in the fight against drug abuse every time we go to the drug store.
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Photo by / Jonathan Perez