Routine screening can prevent opioid use

Washington: A new study suggests that routine screening and proper treatment for patients can prevent the opioid abuse.

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University outlined the use of opioids and its treatment.

"Treatment can save lives," said Todd Korthuis, author of the study. "The national opioid epidemic can turn around if we embrace opioid use disorder as a chronic medical condition that needs treatment instead of a moral issue or the result of poor willpower, " he added.

The study highlighted one of the many dire consequences of the opioid epidemic i.e more people are turning to injection drug use after their opioid prescriptions are cut off, which in turn has led to an increase in life-threatening infections of the skin, joints, blood, bone and more.

These serious infections then require expensive and lengthy hospital treatments.

Earlier, it was also revealed that religious involvement may help a person to avoid or not use opioids, especially for women.

The findings appeared in the Journal Annals of Internal Medicine.