SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON OPIOID PAIN CONTROL - Discussion 6

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON OPIOID PAIN CONTROL Name Institution affiliation Course Date of Submission Opioid is a type of medication that is given to relieve pain. The drug is responsible for stopping nerves from sending and receiving the feeling of pain in patients’ controlling pain. Opioid is administered to patients to relieve pain because pain can alter their physical and emotional health such as depression and sleep (Truven Health Analytics Inc, 2013). This medication thus, controls and manages patients’ pain, thereby, improving their mood and ability to carry out daily activities. Socioeconomic status has been seen to play a major role in administration of opioid in emergency rooms to patients with severe pain if they are black, poor or less educated in comparison to affluent patients. Racial and ethnic disparities which have been documented in scientific literature indicate that poverty, income and level of education have been influencing the prescription of opioid pain medication (University of Rochester Medical Center, 2013). Reports indicate that patients who visit national hospital ambulatory care where opioid was prescribed are identified by use of zip code for their socioeconomic status. This calls for a need to increase awareness to the pu...