Marketing of opioids to doctors was associated with increased opioid prescribing and increased overdose deaths between 2013 and 2015, according to a new report posted in JAMA.
Why it matters: This study is the first to tie opioid marketing to opioid deaths. The results are damning to opioid manufacturers, which are being sued by cities and states plagued by the opioid epidemic.
Details:
- "Amid a worsening opioid crisis, our results suggest that industry marketing to physicians may run counter to current efforts to curb excessive opioid prescribing," the study's authors write.
- "Policymakers should continue to consider limiting the extent to which pharmaceutical companies may contribute to inappropriate opioid prescribing while balancing the need for access to opioids for patients who need them."
Go deeper: A new insight into OxyContin marketing
