Opioids, Chronic Pain, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic turned national attention away from another public health crisis that unfortunately worsened over the past year. Drug overdose deaths increased by 30% in 2020, marking the highest number ever recorded in the United States. Opioids, driven largely by synthetic versions like fentanyl,were involved in three-quarters of those deaths. Of special concern is the treatment of pain in COVID “long-haulers” with narcotic medications, raising new concerns over the risk of addiction among COVID survivors.

As noted in our previous policy statement from Northwestern Health Sciences University, action is needed across sectors to better support pain patients with safe, effective, non-addictive treatment options. All healthcare professionals should be attentive to the risk of opioid abuse and common signs of opioid addiction among patients with noncancer pain. Policy makers should identify opportunities to address barriers that complicate patient access to effective nonpharmacologic treatments for pain. Those include inconsistent insurance coverage, multiple co-payments, visit limits and other utilization management restrictions that result in high out-of pocket expenses. These common practices limit access to complementary and integrative healthcare services, and exacerbate the gap in care among the medically underserved and communities of color.

While settlements with opioid producers and distributers are making headlines, we must advocate that funding earmarked to combat opioid misuse and drug addiction should be accompanied by policies that provide viable treatment alternatives for pain sufferers. The complementary and integrative care community is an important resource for providing effective, non-addictive pain management , and an engaged partner in combating the opioid pandemic.