Opioids for acute pain: How much is too much?

In this study, the researchers looked at opioid prescriptions in 2016, and the numbers are shocking. In the US, 22% of prescriptions written by dentists were for opioids, compared with just 0.6% for British dentists, and US dentists prescribed about 35 opioids per 1,000 population, compared to just 0.5 opioid prescriptions per 1,000 population in England. Additionally, the opioid prescribed in England was a relatively weak codeine-like drug, whereas in the US the majority of prescriptions were for hydrocodone, a stronger opioid with greater abuse potential. When does an opioid prescription make sense? It is simply impossible that pain experienced by people in the US is that staggeringly different than in the UK. So why the discrepancy? While it is possible that pain is being undertreated in the UK and more adequately treated in the US, I don’t believe that to be the case. The difference is that, in the US, prescribers were reassured for years that opioids were a safe and effective way to treat pain. And yes, they are effective, but as evidenced by the vast increase in opioid-related overdose deaths seen in the country over the past decade, they are not safe. On the other hand, medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — those over-the-counter pain medicines that you can get at any supermarket — actually work amazingly well for acute pain. As an example, a large survey study of over 2,000 patients who underwent a range of dental procedures discovered that the vast maj...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Addiction Pain Management Source Type: blogs