Every 19 minutes, someone dies from an accidental opioid overdose, the CDC reports. Even more alarming? Though Americans represent only 5% of the world’s population, they consume 80% of the world’s opioids, the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians reports.
MUST READ: Prescription Medications For Chronic Aching Get Stricter Guidelines
So, what are opioids and why are they dangerous?
Better known as prescription medications such as morphine, oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan) and hydrocodone (Vicodin), opioids are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States, according to the CDC–fueling a nationwide epidemic.
In fact, physicians prescribe them so frequently for common conditions like backaches, chronic headache, and fibromyalgia, that in March 2016, federal officials published national guidelines urging medical practitioners to practice better judgement, before reaching for their prescription pad.
- “When opioids are started, clinicians should prescribe the lowest effective dosage.”
- “When opioids are used for acute aches and discomfort, clinicians should prescribe the lowest effective dose of immediate-release opioids and should prescribe no greater quantity than needed for the expected duration of aching severe enough to require opioids. Three days or less will often be sufficient; more than seven days will rarely be needed.”