Hospital losses from increasing medical negligence claims are among the opioid epidemic’s hidden costs.
The opioid crisis has overtaxed hospitals throughout Pennsylvania and across the country, increasing the potential for malpractice claims against hospital physicians, other hospital healthcare providers, and hospitals themselves.
As the nation’s opioid epidemic worsens, more and more demands are made upon hospital personnel, equipment, funds, time, and other resources due to:
- increased reliance on hospital inpatient and emergency room services by opioid users
- increased reliance on outpatient hospital physician and mental health services by opioid users
- increased admissions for treatment of opioid abuse and overdose
- increased need for neonatal treatment of infants born with opioid addictions
- increased incidence of pill-seeking by hospital patients requesting opioid medications under false pretenses
- increased surgical complications for opioid addicted patients
- increased diagnosis and treatment needs for patients injured in traffic and other accidents as a result of opioid abuse or addiction
- increased diagnosis and treatment needs for patients injured by violence perpetrated by opioid abusers or addicts
- increased losses related to treatment of uninsured and underinsured patients addicted to opioids
- other changes in and demands upon hospital protocols, staffing, time, equipment, and other resources
The Opioid Epidemic’s Hidden Costs to Hospitals
The opioid epidemic’s hidden costs to hospitals are significant and rising. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project User Support (HCUP-US) data reveal that:
- the national rate of opioid-related inpatient hospital stays and emergency department (ER) visits between 2005 and 2014 increased 64.1% and 99.4%, respectively
- opioid-related inpatient stays in Pennsylvania hospitals increased 58.9% between 2009 and 2014
National Institutes of Health (NIH) data show that hospital inpatient stays for prescription opioid abuse increased 414% in the ten-year period between 1997 and 2007.
As a result of ever-increasing opioid-related demands, already overburdened hospitals are left with less time and money to devote to other patients. Precious resources are diverted from non-opioid addicted patients to those presenting with opioid-related conditions and injuries. These costs are among the costs that may be recoverable by hospitals in hospital litigation against prescription opioid manufacturers.
Contact Feldman & Pinto’s Pennsylvania Opioid Hospital Litigation Lawyers
Hospitals may be entitled to compensation from prescription opioid manufacturers for losses caused by the opioid epidemic, including costs related to medical malpractice claims resulting from excessive demands of the opioid crisis. Feldman & Pinto, P.C., is a Philadelphia based personal injury firm concentrating their practice in pharmaceutical litigation.
We are part of a team of lawyers engaged in a fight to compensate hospitals for costs incurred as a result of the opioid epidemic. Please contact our Pennsylvania opioid hospital litigation lawyers to discuss instituting opioid hospital litigation.