Last updated : November 11, 2024
When most of us think of people with drug problems, we tend to imagine those who are addicted to illegal drugs that are purchased on the black market like heroin or cocaine. Many businesses go to great lengths, like paying for background checks and drug testing, to avoid hiring people who have illegal drug habits. However, employers may be overlooking a growing form of drug problem in the workplace involving perfectly legal substances—prescription drugs.
An Expensive Problem
Employees who become addicted to legal drugs, particularly pain killers, cost America’s businesses a whopping $1.4 billion dollars a year, with many indications that the cost is still rising. The losses in money, time missed from work and lower productivity can have a major impact on the workplace environment and on the long term success or failure of a business.
How Addiction Develops
Ironically, studies have shown that many cases of workplace opiate addiction begin in the workplace itself. That is because employees are often given their first prescription for painkillers as the result of a workplace injury. It is common for doctors to prescribe painkillers as part of the treatment, with the result that their patients eventually become addicted. Pain pills are an easy, inexpensive way to treat an injury that may otherwise require longer, more costly treatments. However, in the long run, more money is lost than saved if the patient becomes addicted.
Problem Worsening
The New York Times has reported that the use of opiates and other forms of painkillers has risen by over 60% in just the last ten years. The cost of the drugs themselves are expensive, generally adding up to an average of $13,000 per patient. If the employee becomes addicted to a drug, the treatment to recover from their addiction costs an average of $40,000 per patient. For employees that become addicted to the most expensive painkillers like Oxycotin, treatment costs may exceed $100,000.
Hidden Costs
In addition to the direct cost of the drugs and recovery services, there are a number of indirect costs for workplace opiate use. Time lost from work and impaired functioning while on the job combine to create a major drag on a business’s overall productivity. Stoned, lethargic employees simply do not give their employers full value for their wages. Ironically, the direct and hidden costs of treating the addiction often far surpass the cost of treating the original injury.
Workplace Opiate Use
Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of workplace opiate and painkiller abuse. First of all, make sure the doctors associated with your firm’s insurance company have been made aware of the dangers of over-prescribing painkillers. Second, treatments for addiction are most effective when introduced early, so be on guard for the tell-tale signs of addiction, such as high absenteeism, long and frequent breaks, increased tardiness and general inattentiveness. Inconsistent work patterns and unexplained changes in attitude, behavior and productivity are also red flags.
The Ultimate Solution
Ideally, the ultimate solution is to simply avoid the workplace injuries that lead to the prescription of opiates and painkillers in the first place. This might involve an employee wellness program that helps to keep your employees in shape physically while making them aware of any safety issues that relate to their job. In the end, the best way to combat workplace opiate use is to avoid the medical problems that encourage addiction by maintaining a healthy workforce and a safe work environment.
