Dr. Theisen-Toupal emphasized that with more than 28,600 opioid-related U.S. deaths in 2014, hospitalists must dispense with judgmental attitudes pervasive in many hospitals. Addiction “is not a counterculture thing anymore, on the margins of society,” he said. “Now, it’s senators’ kids and judges’ kids and middle class families’ kids. It’s everywhere, and it has to be addressed.”
Ultimately, hospitalists should reframe opioid addiction not as a social problem “or moral weakness,” but as a medical issue.
Dr. Theisen-Toupal said he had no relevant financial disclosures.