The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Tom Frieden, recently referred to opioid abuse — including prescription painkillers — as "a growing epidemic that is gripping our country."

And increasingly, that grip includes the American workplace.

A new survey, the first of its kind, conducted by the National Safety Council (NSC), along with Indiana's attorney general, concluded that 80 percent of Indiana employers have been impacted by prescription drug misuse and abuse by employees.

Deborah Hersman, president and CEO of the NSC, told CNBC that these issues are not just limited to Indiana.

"We would expect very similar results in many states," Hersman said. "This is not a local problem; this is a national problem, and it's very important for employers to understand this is an issue they need to pay attention to and not put their head in the sand." Millions of Americans are addicted to opioids, and the rate of death from addiction has tripled since 2010.



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Though research is limited as to the exact economic costs of opioid abuse, the most recent estimates suggest that the economic annual burden is upward of $60 billion, with nearly half of that attributable to workplace costs, such as productivity loss. "If an employee is taking a prescription painkiller, their cost on worker's comp goes up four times, and 25 percent of all prescription costs in workers comp are opioid painkillers," Hersman told CNBC. Moreover, while only about half of employers have a written policy on using prescription drugs, according to the survey, nearly two-thirds believe prescription pills, like Vicodin and Percocet, cause more problems than illegal drugs.

"We recognize drug overuse as an issue in American workplaces," said Dexter Shurney, M.D., chief medical director and executive director of global health and wellness at Columbus, Indiana-based engine manufacturer Cummins. Shurney said problems that arise from painkiller abuse are in many respects similar to problems that occur with alcohol abuse, and Cummins believes that programs to improve employee safety in the workplace have to include substance abuse of all kinds.

"We believe zero workplace incidents is the only ethically responsible target, and we have a duty to protect our employees from harming themselves and harming others," Shurney said. "Prevention is a good investment. Healthy employees miss fewer days of work and are more productive while they are here."