Reading about the ongoing coverage of the opioid epidemic this past week has prompted the following questions – do you agree or disagree?

Should newborns with opioid withdrawal be kept together with their mothers?

Newborns suffering from opioid withdrawal have traditionally been separated from their mothers.

The Canadian Paediatric Society is recommending changing this practice of stigmatizing the newborn’s mother, according to The Globe and Mail:

“In response to the growing number of babies born to mothers with opioid dependency, the Canadian Paediatric Society has issued a document that supports keeping mothers and babies together to improve health outcomes, and encourages the use of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding to manage withdrawal symptoms in newborns.”

#Newborns with #opioid withdrawal should be kept together with their #mothers #opioidepidemic Click To Tweet Should #newborns with #opioid withdrawal be kept together with their #mothers? #opioidepidemic Click To Tweet

What do hospitals need to fight the opioid epidemic?

Healthcare IT News, in its article, “Clinical tools, electronic monitoring are C-suite priorities to fight opioid crisis,” reports on a new survey by Premier:

“A new survey from Premier shows that 90 percent of execs from member health systems are focusing on the opioid crisis as an imperative for 2018. Hospital leaders are focusing their efforts on assessing patients to evaluate their pain levels upon admission, educating their staff about resources for safe opioid use and exploring alternative methods for pain relief, the study shows …

“in the opioid battle, technology may be among the most important tools: Health systems are increasingly relying on advanced clinical decision support, automated patient alerts, e-prescribing practices and continuous electronic monitoring of patient-controlled analgesia, according to Premier.”

What do #hospitals need to fight the #opioidepidemic? Click To Tweet

Should the focus of the opioid epidemic be on drug addicts and abusers?

Media and national attention to end the opioid epidemic is centered on the improper use of opioids in the community (addiction, misuse, diversion, etc).

In a recent editorial to the NY Times, “How to Fight the Opioid Crisis,” former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, David A. Kessler, continues advocacy for this approach.

Or, should stopping stopping the opioid epidemic be focused on preventing new addicts and abusers and be centered on keeping patients receiving opioid safe in the hospital and doctor’s office and upon discharge?

Should the focus of the #opioidepidemic be on drug #addicts and abusers? Click To Tweet

Ending the #opioidepidemic should focus on keeping patients safe in the #hospital and doctor’s office and upon discharge Click To Tweet

Will alternative pain management techniques go mainstream?

Outpatient Surgery in its article, “A Day of Surgeries and Zero Opioids,” reports:

The Society for Opioid Free Anesthesia (SOFA) is … educating anesthesia providers and sponsoring research about opioid-free techniques, spreading the word that patients will do just fine without opioids during and after surgery.

Will alternative #pain management techniques go mainstream? #opioidepidemic Click To Tweet

What are You Doing to Fight the Opioid Epidemic?

Please comment below.

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