In recent surveys conducted by WebMD and Medscape, researchers looked at several issues involving opioids, including opioid prescribing practices, use and disposal of the medicines and beliefs and awareness surrounding misuse and addiction.
WebMD surveyed 1,887 consumers, and Medscape surveyed 1,513 healthcare professionals.
Here are five points:
1. Opioids are powerful, pain-relieving drugs, which include codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone, among others.
2. When misused, opioids can have similar effects to heroin.
3. The total number of opioid pain relievers prescribed in the United States has grown to over 200 million, and opioid overdose deaths have more than tripled in the past 13 years, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
4. Nearly half of the surveyed patients said they have concerns about other patients becoming addicted, but only 21 percent were concerned for themselves or their loved ones.
5. Compared to consumers, more than half of healthcare providers say they think sharing opioid medications happens frequently, compared to 42 percent of consumers. Fifty-four percent of providers also say addiction frequently happens, compared to 46 percent of consumers.