Question

What is a general summary on veterans and how they face greater risks with the opioid crisis?

Answer 1

Veterans and face greater risks with the opioid crisis as they suffer from 50 percent of older veterans suffer from chronic pain, according to Veterans Affairs officials. According to a 2011 study of the VA system, untreated chronic pain can increase the risk of suicide, but poorly managed opioid regimens can also be fatal. Veterans are twice as likely to die from accidental opioid overdoses than non-veterans. Since 2012, the height of the VA’s opioid prescribing, the department has reduced the number of veterans receiving opioids by 20 percent, and cut the overall opioid dosages for about 17,000 patients, the VA said. Some VA centers have started to introduce programs on managing chronic pain with acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness and physical therapy that can either reduce the need for painkillers or eliminate it entirely.