Recently, the opioid crisis made headlines when the President declared it a public health emergency. This epidemic is a major concern, but what does it mean and why is it happening? Let’s start with the basics. First, what is an opioid? An opioid is a type of drug that includes illegal substances such as heroin and opium. Synthetic opioids are legal and often prescribed to treat severe and chronic pain. Prescription opioids include: Demerol Fentanyl Hydrocodone (Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Vicodin) Hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo) Methadone (Dolophine, Methadose) Morphine (Astramorph, Avinza, Kadin, MS Contend, Ora-Morph, Roxanol) Oxycodone (Encode, OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicet) Opioids disrupt pain signals in the brain which can make these drugs highly addictive. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2015, an estimated … Continue reading The Opioid Crisis: A Public Health Emergency