ACEP Issues Clinical Policy on Opioid Prescribing for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department
Deaths due to prescription opioids are a significant problem, accounting for nearly 15,000 fatalities in 2008 (a more than threefold increase compared to 10 years previously). In fact, deaths due to drug overdoses are second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of injury-related deaths. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has recognized…