“Overprescribing opioids, largely for chronic pain, is a key driver of America’s drug-overdose epidemic”, said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
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When asked by ABC News what proportion of prescriptions go to those with chronic pain, Dr. Deborah Dowell, senior medical advisor of the CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, said that this group accounts for only about 5 percent of patients, but that they account for 70 percent of prescriptions.
Non-opioid therapy is preferred for chronic pain outside of advanced cancer, palliative and end-of-life care. Although the CDC has no regulatory power and doctors aren’t legally obliged to follow the guidelines, Kolodny said that agency’s recommendations carry weight with physicians.
Examples of opioid painkillers include Vicodin, Percocet, hydrocodone, OxyContin and Oxycodone.
It defined chronic pain as lasting longer than three months, or past the typical time it takes for normal tissue healing. They say mandating a review of state-run drug prescription databases could lead to inaccurate information and would be an administrative burden for them.
The Centers for Disease Control on Tuesday released final guidelines warning doctors to be more cautious about prescribing opioids to adults as concern grows over the abuse of painkillers across the country.
“These guidelines raise awareness of the hazards of unscrupulous opioid prescribing, as well as highlight the value of non-opioid medications and non-pharmacologic therapies”, said Dr. Harshal Kirane, who directs addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital.
Opioids also include heroin, an illegal injectable drug that has become a far cheaper alternative to oral opioids on the streets of many USA communities, causing many overdoses.
■ Doctors should exercise caution when prescribing and monitor all patients closely.
“We know of no other drug prescribed so frequently that kills so many patients”, said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, at a briefing for reporters.
The guidelines will primarily target general practitioners who do not specialize in the use and intake of opioids.
Using this guideline, providers and patients can work together to assess the benefits and risks of opioid use. Since 1999, the amount of opioids prescribed in the USA has quadrupled, though the amount of pain reported by Americans has not changed. For short-term pain, the CDC recommends limiting opioids to three days, when possible. “Changing medical practice isn’t quick, and it isn’t easy”, Frieden said.
“Rates of opioid prescribing vary greatly across states in ways that can not be explained by the underlying health status of the population, highlighting the lack of consensus among clinicians on how to use opioid pain medication”, the authors note.
“The prescription overdose epidemic is doctor-driven and can be reversed, partly, by doctor actions”, Frieden said in a press conference.
The CDC is urging doctors to reconsider whether the opioids they prescribe are really necessary.
New federal guidelines are out for doctors who prescribe powerful prescription painkillers, aimed at curbing their abuse and addiction.
A record 26,647 deaths related to overdose in 2014 indicates a 14 percent increase from the previous year.
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The administration of President Barack Obama has made the overdose epidemic a political priority, and Congress recently held up the appointment of the new Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, until he promised reforms.
