The opioid‐impaired provider: A call for national guidance to maximize rehabilitation while protecting patient safety

Abstract

Opioid use disorder (OUD), which includes opioid abuse and addiction, has been at epidemic levels for over a decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid." 1 Many organizations, including the CDC, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),