“One of the nation’s most prominent medical organizations is calling for a serious rethinking of the way doctors and public health officials confront the opioid epidemic that’s plaguing the country.
In a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) calls substance use disorders involving prescription and illegal drugs a “serious public health issue” and says they should be considered “treatable chronic medical conditions.”
“Drug overdose deaths, particularly from opioids such as prescription pain relievers and heroin, is a rising epidemic,” Dr. Nitin S. Damle, president of ACP, said in a statement. “Substance use disorders are treatable chronic medical conditions, like diabetes and hypertension, that should be addressed through expansion of evidence-based public and individual health initiatives to prevent, treat, and promote recovery.”
Read more at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/physicians-group-opioid-addiction-is-a-chronic-medical-condition/
Source: CBSNews,com – March 27, 2017
