The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
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J Am Osteopath Assoc · Dec 2019
Influence of Future Prescribers' Personal and Clinical Experiences With Opioids on Plans to Treat Patients With Opioid Use Disorder.
Recreational use of opioids is a growing problem in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. Educators have called for inclusion of pain- and opioid-specific courses in health professional school curricula, yet more research is needed to address future prescribers' beliefs, experiences, and postgraduate plans related to opioids. ⋯ Although health professional students had similar beliefs and perceptions regarding the opioid crisis, there were notable differences between academic programs. Students with clinical opioid experiences were more likely to plan on working with patients addicted to opioids and be confident in treating these patients. Thus, the inclusion of experiential learning in the medical curricula may be beneficial for both students and their future patients.