From the Blogs — The Opioid Epidemic: One Year Later

On Sept. 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new statistics on opioid overdose deaths, the first indicators available since updated opioid prescribing recommendations were issued in 2016. What are the key points? One is the rise of illicit fentanyl, the fastest-growing cause of opioid overdoses, accounting for the largest number of opioid overdose deaths between Feb 2016 and Feb 2017. Harrison Reed, PA-C in critical care, summarizes the data, the government's response, and implications for prescribers in the blog In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs.

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