If rising drug addiction is ravaging U.S. communities and convincing even conservative political forces to push for major increases in government-backed treatment, you can bet that it's also costing American companies big time.
According to a new study by Castlight, a benefits consulting firm, nearly one-third of opioid prescriptions acquired by employees through their employer-backed insurance are being abused.
The same study found that just under 5 percent of workers who have been prescribed a powerful painkiller has demonstrated a pattern of addiction or abuse.
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If the percentage of workers who are hooked on meds doesn't seem high, the costs of those who are is hard to ignore. The study suggested that half of the money firms are spending on painkillers is financing prescriptions for addicts. Companies spend an average of $19,450 a year to cover the health costs of addicts, nearly double that of non-addicted employees ($10,853).
An alarming rise in addiction to opioids has pushed treatment to the forefront of the political debate in the last couple years.
While policymakers have certainly not abandoned denunciations of traditional villains, including gangs and street dealers, they have increasingly pointed the finger at the medical establishment for over-prescribing powerful painkillers and regulators for ignoring the dangers of such medications. Many heroin addicts turned to the illegal drug after getting hooked on common prescription drugs, such as oxycontin and vicodin.
Indeed, studies have suggested that the great majority of doctors authorize prescriptions of opioids that would not be recommended by current guidelines. In fact, research increasingly suggests that opioids are not an effective or appropriate treatment for chronic pain.
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