Items Tagged with 'Prescription medication'

Washington — The House on June 13 passed a series of opioid-related legislation, including a unanimously approved bill that would establish a committee to advise Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on ways the Department of Labor could help combat opioid misuse and addiction in the workforce.

Washington — Lawmakers have proposed bipartisan legislation that would create a committee to advise Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on ways the Department of Labor could help combat opioid misuse and addiction in the workforce.

San Francisco — Despite a decrease in opioid use among people who have health insurance through their employer, large employers have experienced a sharp increase in costs for treating opioid addiction and overdoses among their workers, according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Employers “can and will be at the forefront of implementing pivotal solutions to prevent and treat opioid addictions,” one researcher testified during a joint hearing convened by two House subcommittees.

Chicago — Opioid-related overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 Midwest construction workers in 2015 – part of an opioid crisis that cost the region’s industry more than $5 billion in health care expenses and lost time and production, according to a recent report from the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.

Minneapolis – People with chronic low back pain are more likely to use illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota.

On average, 52 people die every day in the United States as a result of prescription opioid overdoses, and statistics show that prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin account for more drug overdoses than heroin and cocaine combined.

Prescription drug abuse is a rising epidemic that can significantly affect the workplace. Symptoms of prescription drug abuse can be hard to spot. However, if you suspect an employee is abusing or addicted to a prescription medication, contact human resources or your employee assistance program.