Sixty-three percent of Americans have used an opioid before, andmore than a third have taken one in the past three years, accordingto two new surveys of consumers and health careproviders by WebMD and Medscape.

The figure helps explain the skyrocketing rates of prescriptiondrug abuse and heroin use that medicalexperts are calling a public health crisis.

Indeed, 74 percent of the 1,513 health care professionals polledsaid they were “very concerned” about the increased misuse andabuse of opioids.

Another 24 percent said they were “somewhat” concerned. Thatmeans only 2 percent voiced no concern at all.

In addition, more than half of medical professionals believethat patients frequently share their opioids with others.

About half believe that such drugs are often used in ways thataren’t in accordance with the doctor’s instructions. While 88percent still prescribe opioids sometimes, two-thirds said thatthey prescribe them less than they used to.

That doctors are concerned is the good news, reports Medscape.It’s also good news that 86 percent of health care professionalsreport discussing the risk of addiction and abuse when prescribingopioids to patients.

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The bad news is that barely half of health care professionals(55 percent) report instructing patients on proper storage ofopioids, which are a prime target for theft by addicted friends andfamily members.

The results of the oversight from doctors is visible in theconsumer responses. Only 23 percent report getting rid of unusedopioids after their treatment by either taking them to a disposalcenter or throwing them away.

Forty-one percent said they specifically keep them for futureuse, and 42 percent believe that it is rare for such drugs to fallinto the wrong hands.

“I was struck by the number of unused opioids that patients arekeeping,” said WebMD medical editor Dr. Arefa Cassoobhoy.

Research by the Center for Disease Control has found littleevidence that opioids are an effective long-term treatment forpain. That’s why Dr. Peter Abaci of the Bay Area Pain &Wellness Center in Los Gatos, Calif., told WebMD that a morecomprehensive approach to chronic pain management is necessary.

“People with chronic pain do better and see the best resultswhen they get comprehensive care,” Abaci says. “But how can youexpect doctors to do better if you don’t give them a system inwhich to offer that type of care? That’s why you see such heavydependence on the medication route of treatment.”

A recent study disputed the widely-heldperception that opioid abuse was the result of a small percentageof doctors who dole out a disproportionate share ofprescriptions.

The abuse of opioids, found the study published in JAMA, is anatural result of prescription practices that have becomemainstream.