Background information

The increase in opioid prescribing is matched by a parallel increase in morbidity, mortality, opioid-related  overdose death rates, and substance use disorders (SUD) treatment admissions from 1999 to 2008.  In 2009, drug overdose became the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S., surpassing deaths from traffic accidents. In 2014, 1.9 million Americans were affected by an OUD related to non-medical  use of prescription pain relievers, and in the same year, 18,893 individuals died as a result of a  prescription drug overdose. There has been a four-fold increase in the absolute number of deaths  associated with use of opioids since 2000, and a 14% increase between 2013 and 2014 alone. In a survey of patients prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and their family members, 34% of patients reported that they thought they were “addicted” or “dependent” on opioid pain medication, 34% said that they used the medication for “fun” or to “get high,” while 22% used the medication to relieve day-to-day stress.

Question: From 1999 to 2008, what is increasing in parallel with the increment of opioid prescribing?
Answer: morbidity, mortality, opioid-related  overdose death rates, and substance use disorders (SUD) treatment admissions

Question: What was the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. in 2009?
Answer: drug overdose

Question: What was the statistics of the events related to OUD or prescription drug overdose in 2014?
Answer: 1.9 million Americans were affected by an OUD related to non-medical  use of prescription pain relievers, and in the same year, 18,893 individuals died as a result of a  prescription drug overdose

Question: How many Americans were affected by an OUD related to non-medical  use of prescription pain relievers in 2014?
Answer: 1.9 million

Question: How many Americans died as a result of a  prescription drug overdose in 2014?
Answer: 18,893

Question: What kind of increase has there been in the absolute number of deaths associated with the use of opioids since 2000?
Answer: a four-fold increase

Question: What kind of increase has there been in the absolute number of deaths associated with the use of opioids between 2013 and 2014 alone?
Answer: 14% increase

Question: As found from a survey of patients prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and their family members, how many patients reported that they thought they were addicted/dependent on opioid pain medication?
Answer: 34%

Question: As found from a survey of patients prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and their family members, how many patients reported that they used the medication for fun or to get high?
Answer: 34%

Question: As found from a survey of patients prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and their family members, how many patients reported that they used the medication to relieve day-to-day stress?
Answer: 22%

Question: What was the outcome of the survey of patients prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and their family members?
Answer: 34% of patients reported that they thought they were “addicted” or “dependent” on opioid pain medication, 34% said that they used the medication for “fun” or to “get high,” while 22% used the medication to relieve day-to-day stress

Question: What is CNCP?
Answer: chronic non-cancer pain