Local View: Opioid epidemic can be solved, starting with the doctors doing the prescribing

This problem needs attention, and a plan of action demands to be sought.

There are several possible solutions to the opioid epidemic, starting with an increase in training for doctors who prescribe opioids to reduce the amount wrongfully distributed. Doctors who choose not to go through the course could be required to give up their licenses to prescribe medications.

Another possible solution could be in incentives for doctors who decrease their prescriptions. It could be argued that this could have negative effects if doctors purposefully don't prescribe opioids to suffering patients for the sole purpose of getting the incentives. This option does carry that drawback, but it also could effectively reduce the amount of opioids distributed to the public.

An argument also can be made that reducing the number of opioids prescribed would do nothing more than turn addicts to illegal sources. But this is merely a step toward solving the drug problem that plagues America.

These plans of action have flaws, but they are possible steps toward a solution. The effects of the opioid crisis can be reduced; it just comes down to having the right plan of action.

The majority of Americans rely on over-the-counter drugs for their pain relief, such as acetaminophen and aspirin. These popular medicines don't have many harmful side effects and are difficult to overdose on, as compared to opioids. The overprescription of opioids is responsible for trapping millions of Americans in the cycle of addiction.

According to Jeffrey Fudin, a doctor of pharmacy in Albany, N.Y., opioids are the No. 1 drug unintentionally overdosed on. There are rehab centers available for those who already are addicted. Despite this, opioid-related deaths continue to climb. By reducing the amount of opioids that reaches the public, the number of people getting addicted will decrease.

Obviously there's also the illegal distribution of opioids and synthetic opioid-based drugs to consider. But that is a different issue.

More immediately, patients are faking pain to feed their addiction to opioids. This affects not only the person addicted but society and the economy. The costs of rehabilitation centers and from criminal-justice-system losses, as well as the loss of workplace productivity, negatively impact the economy.

To combat the opioid epidemic, proper steps need to be taken. Training courses for doctors should be put in place to reduce the amount of opioids that are wrongfully being distributed now. Incentives for doctors are also a valuable option.

The opioid crisis demands to be fought, and it is a necessary battle.

Ellie Gamradt of Wrenshall is a senior at Hermantown High School who researched and wrote this originally for a college-level composition class.