Fatal Drug Overdoses Affect Health Care Workers in Large Numbers: Who is at Greatest Risk?

Contributed — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Registered nurses, social workers and other behavioral health workers, as well as those in health care support are at significantly greater risk for drug overdose death compared to non-healthcare workers, according to a soon-to-be released study led by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Despite the unparalleled increase in recent U.S. drug overdose deaths, until now the risks faced by health care workers were not known. The results are published online in Annals of Internal Medicine(link is external and opens in a new window).

Using a U.S. nationally representative cohort from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) followed for mortality through 2019 the researchers compared the hazards of drug overdose death between health care workers and non–health care workers. To estimate risks for drug overdose death among health care workers relative to non–health care workers, the researchers analyzed the data to determine drug overdose deaths for 6 health care worker groups including physicians, registered nurses, other diagnosing or treating health care workers, health technicians, health care support workers, and social or behavioral health workers versus non-health care workers.

After accounting for age and sex differences among the groups, social workers and other behavioral health workers were 112 percent more likely, health care support workers were 100 percent more likely, and registered nurses were 51 percent more likely than non-healthcare workers to die of a drug overdose. Results were generally similar for opioid-related overdose deaths and unintentional overdose deaths. For health care workers overall, 84.5 percent of drug overdose deaths were considered opioid-related and 76 percent unintentional. For non–health care workers, 76 percent were opioid-related and 85 percent were unintentional.

“Several factors could place health care workers at increased risk for drug overdose death,” said Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Public Health and professor of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. “Those who prescribe or administer medications have ready access to opioids and other controlled prescription drugs and also frequently have job stress and occupational burnout – all of which have been associated with increased risk for opioid use disorder, which in turn can increase the risk for overdose. Many health care workers also routinely do physically strenuous tasks that can lead to injuries that can result in opioid prescriptions to manage pain and attendant risks.”

Despite the increased risks of health care worker groups, there is a shortage of programs dedicated to treating health care workers with substance use problems.

“Although recent progress has been made in developing specialized programs to provide substance use treatment for physicians, few programs exist for other health care professionals with substance use problems who were found in this study to be at increased risk,” observed Olfson, who is also a research psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute. “More generally, these new findings draw attention to the importance of identifying health care workers who may be struggling with substance use problems, helping them to access confidential and effective treatment. We further urge that subsequent research studies consider deeper, more granular details, including the specific nature of work within each occupational group that could contribute to overdose risk.”

Co-authors are Candace M. Cosgrove, U.S. Census Bureau, Mortality Research Group; Melanie M. Wall, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; and Carlos Blanco, National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Regarding Dr. Cosgrove’s contribution, this material should not be interpreted as representing the viewpoint of the U.S. Census Bureau. Regarding Dr. Blanco’s contribution, this material should not be interpreted as representing the viewpoint of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, or the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The study was supported by a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute interagency agreement with U.S. Census Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Fatal Drug Overdoses Affect Health Care Workers in Large Numbers: Who is at Greatest Risk? appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

California to require booster shots for health care workers

Contributed — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Victoria Colliver | Contributed

California will require health care workers to get a Covid-19 booster in order to be fully vaccinated, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.

“Omicron is spreading rapidly and we must do all we can to keep staff at hospitals and medical facilities healthy and safe to protect Californians during a potential winter surge,” Newsom tweeted late Tuesday afternoon.

The announcement came as federal officials revealed Monday that the highly transmissible Omicron variant accounted for 73 percent of all new infections last week. Infections and deaths among unvaccinated people continue to vastly outpace those of vaccinated people.

Meanwhile, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced Tuesday a plan to mandate the Covid-19 booster for those who work for the city or enter city-owned facilities. San Jose would be the first city in California to require boosters.

“We lack the benefit of time, and we need to move quickly,” Liccardo said in a press briefing Tuesday .

Newsom is planning to reveal more details about the health care worker requirement at a press event Wednesday in Alameda County. Liccardo’s proposal will be heard by the city of San Jose’s rules committee Jan. 5.

Liccardo has directed the city manager to work with employees’ bargaining units to enact the booster requirement in January by redefining fully vaccinated to include the booster shot. San Jose already requires proof of full vaccination to enter all city-owned facilities, so the updated mandate would require people to show proof of a booster shot or third dose of vaccine.

A growing number of state and local officials are requiring boosters. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) earlier this month amended the state’s vaccine order to require workers covered by the state’s existing mandate to receive a booster shot by Jan. 17, or within four weeks of becoming eligible for it.

University of California officials on Tuesday said eligible staff and students will have to get the booster shot before the beginning of the winter quarter or spring semester in order to be considered fully vaccinated.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post California to require booster shots for health care workers appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

health care workers Archives - The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Fatal Drug Overdoses Affect Health Care Workers in Large Numbers: Who is at Greatest Risk?

California to require booster shots for health care workers￼

California to require booster shots for health care workers