OPIOID RISK EXPOSURE
BY: CRAIG DEAN
STERLING INSURANCE
GROUP
The Right (And Wrong)
Ways To Manage
Opioid Risk Exposure
A
ccording to the Addiction
Center, the cost of drug
abuse to American
companies is almost $81
billion a year. Think about
that number. It is absolutely astronomical.
In fact, during a recent poll, 70 percent
of companies responded saying that they
had a hit to their productivity specifically
due to opioid abuse in the workplace. It’s
a tricky situation for employers because,
due to HIPAA laws (and common decency),
you can’t simply approach someone in the
workplace and bring it up. So where does
that leave employers? Where does it leave
employees who may have a problem?
Let’s start with the basics. Patients
believe, and rightfully so under most
circumstances, that if they just follow
the instructions they were given and read
what is on their pill bottle, they aren’t
at risk of addiction. Unfortunately, that
couldn’t be further from the truth. Here
is an example: An employee falls at work
and has to go through physical therapy
and have a surgery. They are prescribed
an opiate pain killer. The recovery doesn’t
go well, so they continue taking the
medication—exactly as prescribed—until
the prescription runs out. At that point,
they begin to go through withdrawals
from that medication. They need more
pills just to feel normal. These people
need help; they do not need to be
ostracized.
According to the Nationa l Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, more
than 70 percent of people addicted to or
abusing drugs are employed. How could
that affect a business? The list is extensive:
• Mood swings at work
• Decreased productivity
• Increased hostility
• Absenteeism
• Unexplained lateness
Employers need to provide resources to
their employees to deal with situations
like this. They need to educate and erase
the stigma about addiction that has been
so pervasive in the past. Don’t confront
them. Simply let them know there is help
available if anyone requires it. That help
can come by way of a treatment center,
prescriptions to deal with withdrawals, or
a slew of other solutions.
The fact is that opioid addiction often
begins just by simply hurting yourself
and visiting the doctor. Many people who
become addicts did nothing more than
follow the directions given to them by
their doctor and their pharmacist. The
issue has become so pervasive that it’s
time to begin looking at the hard facts:
opioid addiction is a disease and it should
be treated as such. We wouldn’t criticize
someone with diabetes; we would try to
help them. Even if a person initially did
something to trigger their issue, the end
result and the cost is the same.
Could opioid exposure be affecting your
business? Would you know what to do
if it was? Are there resources at your
disposal to help employees deal with
these problems should they arise? These
questions are important to ask but can
be overwhelming at times. At Sterling,
we are here to help walk you through
it. Contact Craig at (810) 599-1515 or
[email protected] today for more
information. +
Craig Dean has handled commercial insurance programs for over 20 years. He has international
clients in the manufacturing, distributing, property management, and technology sectors. Craig
utilizes a process that improves his clients’ risk profiles, which ultimately is reflected in lower
insurance costs. Reach him today: [email protected], or (810) 599-1515.
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