June 22nd, 2017 by WCBC Radio
A new nationwide survey on hospital ER visits and inpatient care shows Maryland ranks No. 1 in opioid-related hospital stays. As communities handle a growing drug crisis, hospitals in Maryland and other places are treating more and more patients with opioid-related problems. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a study this week showing 1.27 million emergency room visits and inpatient stays in 2014, the latest year numbers were available. Opioid-related emergency department visits were highest in Maryland, the study found. Nationwide inpatient stays increased 64 percent, with patients ages 25-44 and 45-64 having the highest rates. Maryland Lt Governor Boyd Rutherford tells WBAL says those numbers don’t reflect the effort the state has been putting into its battle against the opioid crisis…