America’s opioid epidemic has reached crisis proportions, enough so that last week the United States Surgeon General took the unprecedented step of sending a letter to 2.3 million American health care professionals asking them to take a pledge to “turn the tide” on the opioid crisis.
Relieving pain is an essential element of good care, and we are appropriately reminded that the use of these powerful medications requires precision, caution, and perspective.
Excerpted from an article by Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. She is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading expert in geriatrics, whose research has focused on elder abuse and neglect. To read full article, click here.