Fifty-one percent of physicians believe that opioid and substance misuse among other physicians increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Medscape's 2022 "Substance and Opioid Abuse Report."
Only 42 percent of physicians believe that patient opioid and substance misuse increased, while 54 percent believe that it stayed the same.
A majority of physicians (61 percent) rank substance and opioid misuse as a somewhat or very significant issue among colleagues.
Additionally, 29 percent of physicians rank substance and opioid misuse as a top social issue.
Physicians in the West North Central region — which comprises North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri — are most likely (37 percent) to consider substance and opioid misuse as a top issue.