Morrow Paul L
MD, Department of Forensic Pathology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland.
N Z Med J. 2018 Feb 2;131(1469):59-63.
The US is currently in the grips of an epidemic of opioid drug deaths. The pattern has shifted from prescription opioids to illicit fentanyl in most recent years. In New Zealand there has been concern about prescription opioid drugs, although we have not seen the rapid increase in mortality that has been observed in the US. It is not clear whether we will follow the American pattern, but there may be lessons we can learn from the American experience and develop appropriate surveillance for this potentially significant public health problem.
美国目前正遭受阿片类药物致死的流行。近年来，模式已从处方阿片类药物转向非法芬太尼。在新西兰，人们对处方阿片类药物一直有所担忧，尽管我们并未看到像美国那样死亡率的快速上升。尚不清楚我们是否会遵循美国的模式，但或许我们可以从美国的经验中吸取教训，并针对这一潜在的重大公共卫生问题开展适当的监测。
