The Opioid Epidemic in West Virginia

This study conducted a literature review using 37 references that were published between the years 2009 and 2018, complemented with a semistructured interview. The number of people injecting drugs has increased from 36% in 2005 to 54% in 2015. The total US cost of prescription opioid abuse in 2011 has been estimated at $25 billion, and criminal justice system costs to $5.1 billion. The reasons for this opioid epidemic incidence in West Virginia have been a combination of sociocultural factors, a depressed economy, lack of education, and a high rate of prescribing and dispensing of prescription opioids.
Source: The Health Care Manager - Category: Health Management Tags: Article Source Type: research