Prevalence and Expense of Outpatient Prescription Opioid Use Among Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alterman, Toni
• Description:
  Although a growing literature addresses the incidence of drug overdose, particularly opioid overdose, little is known about the prevalence of prescription opioid use among the working population. Information on the prevalence of opioid use among U.S. workers, along with factors associated with their use, is critically needed. The issue of opioid use among workers is both a health issue and a safety issue. Prescription opioids may be both a personal risk factor for work-related injury and a consequence of work exposures. Several studies have found that workers employed in industries in which the rate of occupational injury is high such as mining and construction were more likely than other workers to receive prescription opioids, and to die from opioid overdose. Jobs prone to injury and illness have higher proportions of workers with substance misuse and overdose death. Workplace ergonomic challenges, occupational injury, musculoskeletal conditions and disability have been shown to impact opioid use or misuse. Opioid use may affect the performance of safety-sensitive tasks and increase the risk of workplace injuries by decreasing muscle strength and reaction time, as well as affecting judgment, coordination, attention, and memory. Understanding factors that are associated with opioid use by workers may help identify potential work- and non-work-related risk factors for prevention of opioid-related health issues. Our objective was to examine the prevalence and expense of outpatient prescription opioid use, along with associated sociodemographic, economic, and work characteristics, in a national sample of U.S. workers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biopharmaceutics Construction Industry Demography Economics Ergonomics Hazardous Substances Mining Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Substance-Related Disorders

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• Keywords:
  Construction Industry Construction Workers Costs Demographic Characteristics Disabled Workers Drug Abuse Drugs Hazardous Drugs Health Care Injuries Miners Mining Industry Outpatient Facilities Pharmaceuticals Risk Analysis Risk Factors Sociological Factors Substance Abuse Surveillance Worker Health Workers Worker Safety

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• Publisher:
  American Psychological Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  108-109
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058784
• Citation:
  Work, Stress and Health 2019, November 6-9, 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2019 Nov; :108-109
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Work, Stress and Health 2019, November 6-9, 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:efc39cb45b5c45c0d90b02bea3c19876e97b6b02fcd8b0d30450d442a24377b99a29624013f4b19dd366422bbd46f526dfa925c0284b5f64ca99bd242d54cd15
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223181/cdc_223181_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 120.24 KB ]