The misuse of and addiction to opioids – including prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl – is an ongoing serious national crisis that is affecting public health as well as social and economic welfare. This crisis continues to take tens of thousands of lives each year. Over 250 lives were taken by opiates every day in the United States in 2020, according to the CDC.
Unfortunately, the effects and misuse of opioids are not isolated to just home environments, they often happen within the workplace as well. The potential for opioid misuse may be caused by injuries that happen while on the job, which can ultimately affect an individual in both their home and work life.
There are a multitude of factors that can contribute to the misuse of opioids such as:
- Psychological stress from unmanageable job demands.
- Financial insecurity.
- Time pressure.
- Job instability.
- Physical injury.
- Increased trauma from strenuous labor.
Opioid overdose rates are highest among occupations with the greatest physical work demands and the least amount of access to paid sick leave. So, what can we do change this? This issue is complex and while employers cannot address all of the risk and protective factors that occur on individual and community levels, employers can protect against workplace risk and enhance the safety of the overall environment!
We can begin reducing the risk by educating our workforce and implementing polices.
Employers should provide education on a variety of topics, including:
- Non-opioid pain relief alternatives.
- Common risk factors for opioid misuse.
- What to ask prescribers before receiving an opioid prescription.
- Description of common brand and generic names of opioids.
- Opioid use disorder, accessing treatment and other support mechanisms.
- Safely disposing of unused medications.
There are a ton of policies that organizations can implement to prevent misuse, which can be customized to fit your specific workforce. This is designed to help set expectations and boundaries for employees. Some ideas are below:
- Have clear, concise and compassionate drug-free policies set in place. The risk of misusing or developing an opioid disorder decreases with understanding and policies.
- Training management on policies and procedures on recognizing impairment is another great way to help reduce the risk as well as the prevention of safety hazards.
- Implementing flexible medical leave policies should be in place for employees to have an appropriate timeframe to attend medical appointments and heal fully before returning to work after an injury because overly restrictive policies can lead employees to take their prescribed opioids longer than necessary or seeking illegal opioids so they can return to work earlier regardless if they are ready.
Another strong prevention mechanism is creating a supportive and safe work culture. This not only lessens the impact of other factors that put people more at risk for developing an opioid use disorder, but also ensures a safe space so employees feel supported and even encouraged to seek help if needed.
Here are ways to create a safe work culture:
- Minimizing stress in the workplace. Encourage work/life balance, self- care and support from not only coworkers but management as well when employees express stress.
- Connect with the community: host or participate in drug take-back programs and learn about your communities’ resources.
- Support recovery in the workplace: do not serve alcohol at work-sponsored events and educate employees on treatment and recovery!
- Promote a culture of wellness and health within the workplace,
Having a solid foundation with benefits and health care plans is important within the workplace. This allows employees to have security and not have to worry about what their plans cover and/or do not cover.
Some tips are below:
- Ensure health care plans cover mental and behavioral health services.
- Encourage annual screenings for substance use disorders.
- Ensure coverage of alternative pain management treatments.
- Provide or increase access to employee assistance programs (EAPs).
The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are the nation’s leading medical research agency and continue to research ways to solve this overwhelming issue. To learn more, click here.
If you or someone close to you needs help, talk to your doctor or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Other resources to explore: