Data

Opioid use, abuse, and adverse consequences, including death, have escalated at an alarming rate since the 1990s. In an attempt to control opioid abuse, numerous regulations and guidelines for responsible opioid prescribing have been developed by various organizations. However, the US opioid epidemic is continuing and drug dose deaths tripled during 1999 to 2015. Recent data show a continuing increase in deaths due to natural and semisynthetic opioids.

Availability of analgesic opioids, INCB 2018

The increasing use of opioids worldwide have become worrisome to such an extent that in 2017 the HHS declared a public health emergency to combat what is now called “The Opioid Crisis”. Indeed, due to increased prescription of opioid medication, there has been a widespread misuse of these opioids which eventually led to the acknowledgment that these medications could be highly addictive.

Opioids related deaths per million inhabitants, EMCDDA for European countries and country responses to OECD opioid data questionnaire 2018.

The opioid crisis is actually believed to be a key factor in the decline of life expectancy in the US, which is the country with the most opioids availability and overdose deaths. Worldwide, opioids are responsible for 26 deaths per million inhabitants, but in the US, this number is 5 times higher.

Global opioid consumption in kilograms from 2000 to 2014

The opioids crisis in the US really began during the mid 90s, when new opioids products became available. Compared to Europe, it is authorized in the US to advertise for medicines. Doctors also gained an advantage in prescribing pain relieving drugs such as opioids because it was easy and insured patient satisfaction. Although a rise in in opioid consumption is attested globally, the opioid crisis is only reported in the US because of its magnitude compared to European countries.