Texas Hospitals and the Opioid Epidemic
Every day hospitals and health systems see the effects of the nation’s growing opioid epidemic. Opioids accounted for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2016—five times higher than opioid-related overdose deaths in 1999.
Hospitals are on the front lines in part because of the increased morbidity and mortality related to prescription opioid drug use.
The Texas Hospital Association has worked diligently to provide member hospitals with the tools and resources they need to address statewide opioid use and abuse from its many contributing factors. The resources that follow describe these efforts in greater detail.