Half of Opioid Prescriptions for Young People Found to Be High Risk

I recently read a study that found children and young adults who experience pain from routine dental care or oral surgery are frequently exposed to unsafe and unnecessary opioid prescriptions. 

The researchers looked at more than 4 million opioid prescriptions given to people under 21 in 2019, and nearly half of them were deemed high-risk for exceeding recommended doses or including a combination of drugs not recommend for children. It also found that the top 5 percent of prescribers accounted for 53 percent of opioid prescriptions for children and young adults overall and 53 percent of high-risk prescriptions.

The researchers also noted that 80 percent of dental opioid prescriptions for adolescents and young adults are for tooth extractions, for which an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen can provide comparable relief.

Reducing opioid prescriptions could substantially lower opioid exposure for children and young adults. It is vital that we continue to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription opioids and their link to heroin and fentanyl. I urge all of you to continue to support the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act. This act would create a grant program incentivizing states to that prescribers discuss the addictive qualities of the drugs with patients and inform them of alternative treatment options before prescribing them for acute pain.

The Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act will help provide patients the knowledge to make informed decisions about what treatment option is right for them. Its goal is to prevent opioid addiction before it even gets started and to save lives. 

Prevent Opioid Abuse has created a simple way for you to show support by asking your congressional representative to co-sponsor the bill. Click here to easily enter your name and address for a letter to be automatically be sent to your representative. I hope you will join us in supporting the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act.

Continued wishes to stay safe and well.

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