Improving adherence for medications and opioids

The opioid epidemic continues to devastate lives, with 112,000 overdose deaths annually and an economic burden exceeding $1.5 trillion. While pharmacies and physicians face stringent regulations, patients at home often navigate opioid use without oversight—leading to high rates of misuse, diversion, and nonadherence. In fact, 75% of patients fail to take medications as prescribed, contributing to 125,000 preventable deaths and $290 billion in avoidable healthcare costs each year. This session presents a forward-thinking solution: leveraging abuse-deterrent technology and controlled dispensing systems to ensure opioids are only used by the intended patient, at the prescribed dose and time. The speaker will outline innovations that can transform opioid safety, discussing how these technologies work and how they can be integrated into clinical and at-home settings to prevent addiction, diversion, and overdose. Key Learning Objectives: Understand the scale and economic impact of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD). Identify the gaps in opioid regulation once prescriptions leave the pharmacy. Explore technological solutions for abuse deterrence and controlled dispensing. Learn how innovation can reduce diversion, overdose, and dependence. Discover strategies for integrating safer opioid delivery systems into patient care.