The Walking Dead: Workers' Comp and Opiates
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | 0
An employee who is back to work and is on long-term opiates for pain management is like having The Walking Dead at the office! While we adore watching all things zombie, an employer does not want someone at work with cognitive and physical limits. I always tell my clients/employers “find out what medications your injured worker is taking. You don’t want someone on oxycontin delivering doughnuts!”
Pain medication and their side effects: Do you want employees on the job experiencing these symptoms?
- Opiate-induced hyperalgesia- increased sensitivity to pain.
- Respiratory depression – slow rate of breathing, loss of urge to breathe.
- Central nervous system complications – dizziness, euphoria, drowsiness.
- Cardiovascular – decreased blood pressure and slow heart rate.
- Musculoskeletal system – osteoporosis, muscle rigidity and contractions.
- Itchy skin.
- Immune system damage caused by long-term opiate use.
- Ocular system – Constriction of pupils.
- Gastrointestinal system – constipation, nausea, vomiting, and other problems.
- Endocrine system hormonal and sexual dysfunction.
There could also be a problem with the injured worker developing an opiate addiction after a work comp accident (oh the joys of rehab after they get addicted!). This will render them unable to return to work soon, if at all. If your injured employee has ever been sober from substance abuse and is injured, prescribed narcotics, then down the rabbit hole they go. It is important to have your employee return to work as soon as possible. The smart answer as to when: When they have been weaned off their opiate medications and can safely return to work.
Back pain is the leading workplace injury; is it any wonder that workers don’t come back to work for a while or ever? One of the biggest indicators of disability is the use of these drugs. Excessive use of these drugs over a long period creates a change in the neurological system, they actually become more sensitive to pain than when they started taking the drug. An outstanding fact is that people who take opiates for a long period of time lose physical and cognitive function.
Does this sound like said employee is ready to come back to work? Your company and your employees are important to you. Now that you know the side effects of taking pain meds, do you really want to take the chance of zombie-like employees exposing themselves or others to future injuries or risks?
If a worker has had a serious injury (opiates should not be prescribed for minor injuries) and opiates are prescribed, usually four to six weeks is sufficient time to wean off of the drugs and be able to return to work on light duty. Monitor your employee and if they are still on painkillers, take extra precautions. They should not drive to and from work or operate any machinery.
Here are great ideas to implement for light-duty work: Pick up trash in the yard or lot, replenish first aid cabinets, sort and deliver mail around workplace, make/answer telephone calls, file paperwork, clean tools, shipping (labeling & wrapping).
If pain medication is going to be an ongoing issue, a discussion with the physician and employee and HR department is necessary. Communication is always the key to a successful employer and employee relationship. Workers need to be back at work as soon as possible. Let's make sure that it is handled with the proper caution and care.
Red Hollingsworth is a risk-management consultant for employers in Salt Lake City, Utah. This column was reprinted with his permission from his Work Comp Wednesdays blog.
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