Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska reports the number of opioid prescriptions filled by members declined 19 percent from 2014 to 2017.  Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Esser says doctors are now sitting down and talking with their patients about opioid misuse disorder and getting them treatment if there is a problem.

Esser says historically, men made up two-thirds of the members who received treatment for opioid misuse disorder but that gap is narrowing.  There was a 61-percent increase in the number of women ages 40 to 60 seeking treatment.

Esser says there are a number of different treatments available for opioid disorder and newer ones involve drugs that take away the cravings.  Esser says Nebraska should be proud that even though the state doesn’t have a large opioid problem they have decreased prescribing it significantly.