Though veterinarians can prescribe highly effective medicine, their position in curbing the opioid epidemic has been largely missed. Researchers are calling for improved surveillance, extra analysis, and higher coaching in an editorial printed within the American Journal of Public Well being.

“The position veterinarians play in serving to scale back opioid abuse hasn’t been completely examined,” stated Lili Tenney, one of many lead investigators of the survey and the deputy director of the Middle for Well being, Work & Setting. “Our outcomes point out that we must be paying extra consideration to how opioid abusers are searching for their medicine — together with by veterinary clinics. We need to see well being individuals and wholesome pets.”

Opioid diversion and misuse is an issue affecting everybody within the veterinary clinic — from employees to pet homeowners to pets themselves. Of the 189 veterinarians surveyed, 13% reported that they’d seen a shopper who they believed had purposefully injured a pet, made them ailing, or made them look like unwell. Near 45% of these surveyed knew of a pet proprietor or member of their workforce who was abusing opioids; 12% acknowledged that had been conscious of a employees member diverting opioids or abusing them.

The Middle for Well being, Work & Setting workforce and the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention are working to deal with opioid misuse and animal abuse by educating veterinarians and their employees. Collectively, they designed a web based coaching that focuses on opioid prescription tips and finest practices for veterinarians.