The amount of opioids prescribed in the United States decreased each year between 2010 and 2015, according to a Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The amount of opioids prescribed per capita fell from a peak of 782 morphine milligram equivalents in 2010 to 640 MME in 2015, but remains about three times higher than in 1999 and varies widely by county, with some counties prescribing six times as much as others. “This variation highlights the need for health care providers to consider evidence-based guidance when prescribing opioids,” said Deborah Dowell, M.D., chief medical officer for CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention. Between 2010 and 2015, MME per capita decreased in half of U.S. counties and increased in 23% of counties.

Related News Articles

Headline
An AHA blog published Sept. 16 highlights programs and practices by Boston Medical Center leaders and staff that support residents’ mental health, emotional…
Headline
Susan Doherty, AHA’s vice president of field engagement, and Rebecca Chickey, AHA’s senior director of behavioral health services, write on the unique ways…
Blog
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023, the latest year for which data was…
Headline
Corey Feist, CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, and Tiffany Lyttle, R.N., director of cultural integration at Centra Health, discuss…
Blog
Public
Medical residency is one of the most demanding stages in a physician’s career. Long hours, intense learning and new responsibilities often push trainees to…
Headline
A Gallup report published Sept. 9 found that nearly 48 million Americans currently have or are being treated for depression. The total, which equals 18.3% of…