The cost of opioid use disorder and the value of aversion

The objective of this study was twofold. First, to update and estimate the economic burden of opioid use disorder (OUD) to the U.S. from the perspectives of the healthcare sector, taxpayer, and society, overall and by age. Second, to estimate the mean present value of averting an OUD, overall and by age, for use in economic evaluations of prevention-focused interventions.

More than two-thirds of Americans don’t know how to properly dispose medications, new research reveals

Commissioned by Covanta and conducted by OnePoll in advance of the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in April, the study found nearly two-thirds (63%) of those surveyed dispose of old medications at home. For 59% of people, throwing old medications in the trash is an expedient way to dispose of old or expired medications, without giving much thought as to whether or not they will end up in a landfill. Likewise, 58% believe it’s fine to flush medications down the toilet or sink., where it can pollute water sources. To compound the issue, three out of four of those who dispose of medications in these ways do so despite knowing the potential environmental damage these methods pose to ground water and other water systems.

Investing in Prevention Makes Good Financial Sense

Primary prevention—including screening and intervention before negative health outcomes occur—is relatively inexpensive, and the higher-risk behaviors it is designed to reduce are so costly to the healthcare system that it is staggeringly wasteful not to make sure that screening and treatment referral are readily implemented and faithfully reimbursed by insurers and that interventions are convenient for parents and their children.