Opioid abuse is rampant, and it is having a ripple effect on the workforce. According to the CDC, the opioid epidemic kills an average of 115 Americans daily and, in 2016, around 66 percent of the more than 63,600 drug overdose deaths involved an opioid. The most common drugs involved in prescription opioid overdose deaths included methadone, oxycodone and hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin®).

Employers are managing their own symptoms of the crisis, such as employee leave, tardiness, decreased productivity, poor performance, work-related accidents, and increased workers’ compensation and health insurance costs. According to one study, 71 percent  of U.S. employers have been affected by employee misuse of legally prescribed medications, including opioids.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]