Prescription drugs | Safety+Health

Items Tagged with 'Prescription drugs'

ARTICLES

DRUG USE AMONG WORKERS

Prescription painkillers and the workforce

Experts say policies and education can help combat opioid abuse

September 27, 2015

Sarah Trotto

No Comments

The number of Americans dying from prescription painkiller overdoses has quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injured workers are often prescribed narcotics to help relieve their pain. The National Safety Council has launched an initiative aimed at preventing overdoses.

Study asks: Does taking opioids for back pain delay return to work?

September 9, 2015

Hamilton, Ontario – Being prescribed an opioid for low back pain may keep workers off the job longer, according to a new study from McMaster University.

The crisis of prescription drug abuse

May 22, 2015

The National Safety Council states that overdoses -- mostly from prescription opioid painkillers such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and morphine -- are the leading cause of unintentional death among adults ages 25-64.

Many adults mix alcohol, medications: study

January 21, 2015

More than 40 percent of adults could be risking their health by mixing alcohol and prescription medications, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health.

Most opioid users take dangerous combinations of drugs, report says

December 10, 2014

Most people taking opioid painkillers for long-term treatment are prescribed additional medications that could lead to a fatal drug combination, according to a report by prescription management company Express Scripts.

Opioid use among disabled workers increases; DEA tightens restrictions

August 26, 2014

Lebanon, NH – Disabled workers receiving Medicare benefits are increasingly using prescription painkillers, according to a new study from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

NSC resources aim to help employers confront painkiller abuse

August 12, 2014

Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council has released a guide and toolkit to help employers understand what they can do to fight prescription painkiller abuse by workers.

AVOIDING DEPENDENCE

Workers and opioids

What employers and employees need to know about treatment choices

May 23, 2014

Ashley Johnson

No Comments

Opioid painkillers increasingly are being prescribed to treat chronic pain, and their use among injured workers may be dangerous if the drug is unwarranted or misused. What should employers and workers know to help encourage safe use of opioids?