Prescription opioids is one of the most common addictions in the U.S., with millions of Americans misusing medications like Oxycodone, Codeine and Vicodin every year. But as widespread as opioid use disorder is, Americans rarely get help.
According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, only 10% of people who misuse opioids actually get treatment. And yet, nearly 50,000 people die from opioid overdoses each year, accounting for 72% of overdose deaths in America. But these shocking numbers shouldn’t just highlight individual failings; rather, they reflect a failure of the U.S. healthcare system, says Ankit Gupta, founder and CEO of Bicycle Health, a virtual care platform for opioid addiction.
