The article under consideration narrates the determinants of mortality resulting from the prescription of opioids and their overdoses. From the economic perspective, this type of review is complicated by the presence of numerous factors, as it was highlighted by the authors, which requires a careful approach to avoid generalizations (King et al., 2014). In this case, the primary circumstance was prescriber behavior correlating with the overall increase in sales of these medications over the years in the United States and Canada (King et al., 2014). It explains the particular attention of researchers to the problem while remaining a profitable but alarming practice.
In turn, gender and age are emphasized in this piece as the principal considerations affecting the outcome of the suggested treatment. According to scholars, men are reported to be more vulnerable to the adversities of opioid overdoses, and another risk factor was middle age (King et al., 2014). Alongside the fact of belonging to specific population groups, such as “non-Hispanic Whites and American Indian/Alaska Natives,” these conditions allow concluding of the main characteristics of people at risk (King et al., 2014). These findings imply that the socio-economic situation of the affected individuals as per the above tendencies is generally worse compared to other categories of citizens.
In addition, the authors examined the significance of geographic locations in the matter. As follows from their statements, any of the specified circumstances should be viewed as belonging solely to particular areas to avoid bias (King et al., 2014). In other words, it is impossible to consider mortality rates from overdoses universal since they differ depending on people’s places of residence (King et al., 2014). This determinant positively correlates with the need for ensuring clarity regarding the patterns of drug distribution across the countries, which is a purely economic factor.
Reference
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper, S. (2014). Determinants of increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and Canada, 1990–2013: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), e32-e42. Web.