How The Opioid Crisis Affects Access to Care

Before COVID-19 affected access to healthcare, the opioid crisis hobbled medical providers who prescribed medically necessary opioid painkillers.

Public Health Crisis

During the 1990s, opioid painkillers were introduced as new alternatives to address pain. The pharmaceutical companies that manufactured opioid painkillers assured doctors that these new medications were not addictive. Because of these assurances, medical professionals prescribed opioid painkillers at increased rates.

The increase in prescriptions created a far-reaching misuse of prescription and non-prescription opioid painkillers. When the medical community realized these painkillers were highly addictive, they stopped access to opioid painkillers. In 2017 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared the opioid crisis a public health crisis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the overdose rates linked to opioids doubled between 2010 and 2019. The overdose rates went up 32% in 2020 compared to 2019’s rates. The onset of COVID-19 heightened the rate of overdoses linked to opioid painkillers.

COVID-19 and Opioids

COVID-19 presented local, state, and federal agencies with unique issues previously unheard of. Social isolation, lack of access to medical or mental healthcare, stress, and a change in living environment impacted the well-being of many. Any or all of these factors can lead to an increase in substance use.

Patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) were likelier to die if infected with COVID-19. For those with a spinal cord injury (SCI), misuse of opioid painkillers posed a greater threat if COVID-19 infected them. Opioids damage the heart and lungs of those who take them. People with an SCI have underlying health issues like respiratory infections and lung or heart issues. The harmful impact opioid painkillers have on these systems, combined with COVID-19, can increase the risk of severe illness or even death.

COVID-19’s Impact on Well-being

The CDC published research about the connection between mental health and substance use among adults with disabilities during COVID-19. Researchers discovered that adults with disabilities have higher rates of mental health conditions and substance use than others without a disability.

The study reported that 64.1% of adults with disabilities who responded to the survey said they experienced adverse mental health symptoms or substance use. The researchers found that adults with disabilities were disproportionately affected by mental health symptoms and substance use during COVID-19. They recommended improved access to mental health care during public health emergencies such as COVID-19.

Access to Opioids for Medical Care

The restrictions placed on prescribing opioid painkillers can hurt their accessibility for those who require them. The urgency to address the opioid crisis, while understandable, has left many forgetting why there is a legitimate need for prescription opioids. People with chronic pain or other health issues require opioid painkillers to maintain livable lives.

In 2021 the National Pain Advocacy Center (NPAC) was created. Its founder is a former U.S. Justice Department civil rights attorney. The agency’s goal is to ensure safe, legitimate access to opioids while allowing those who need opioid painkillers a voice in the continued conversation about the opioid crisis.