Opinion: Hospitals are a missing link in easing the opioid crisis
Nearly half a million individuals with opioid use disorders are hospitalized each year in the United States. While they are in the hospital, medical providers often treat complications of this disorder, such as bloodstream infections, but rarely directly address their addiction. That’s like pumping up a flat tire without ever looking for the nail that caused the problem.
Our national failure to treat opioid addiction in the hospital setting is costing lives and wasting valuable resources.
Hospitalization is a “reachable moment” for many people with opioid use
