Addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States: lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs. | AHRQ Patient Safety Network

Addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States: lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs. | AHRQ Patient Safety Network



Article describes key lessons learned from Department of Veterans Affairs efforts to address opioid epidemic.
JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Mar 13; [Epub ahead of print].

• Commentary
 
• Published March 2017

Addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States: lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gellad WF, Good CB, Shulkin DJ. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Mar 13; [Epub ahead of print].

Opioid medications are a known safety hazard, and overdoses of opioid medications are considered an epidemic in the United States. This commentary discusses US Veterans Affairs health system initiatives that focus on education, prescription monitoring, pain management, and use of guidelines to reduce risks associated with opioids.

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