IOPList.Org

Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

6:05 p.m. EDT March 15, 2016

The nation's top federal health agency urged doctors to avoid prescribing powerful opiate painkillers for patients with chronic pain, saying the risks from such drugs far outweigh the benefits for most people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its first ever guidelines for dispensing the morphine-like, addictive drugs, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, said it took the action Tuesday to combat the nation's deadly prescription painkiller epidemic.

The guidelines carve out an exception for patients receiving cancer treatment or end-of- life care. When doctors determine that such drugs are necessary in other situations, the CDC advises doctors prescribe the lowest possible dose for the shortest amount of time.

About 40 Americans die each day from overdosing on prescription painkillers, according to the CDC.

In 2013, an estimated 1.9 million people abused or were dependent on prescription opiates.

"We know of no other medication routinely used for a nonfatal condition that kills patients so frequently," said CDC director Thomas Frieden. "We hope to see fewer deaths from opiates. That's the bottom line. These are really dangerous medications that carry the risk of addiction and death."

The CDC directed the guidelines to primary care physicians, who prescribe nearly half of opiates. Doctors aren't legally obligated to follow the recommendations, which are intended for adult patients, but such directives often have influence.

The CDC hopes the guidelines will help doctors determine when to begin or continue opiates for chronic pain, which type of painkiller to choose, how long to administer the drugs and how to weigh their risks.

Andrew Kolodny, executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, called the recommendations a "game changer" that doctors are likely to follow.

"For the first time, the federal government is communicating clearly that the widespread practice of treating common pain conditions with long-term opioids is inappropriate," Kolodny said. "The CDC is making it perfectly clear that medical practice needs to change because we’re harming pain patients and fueling a public health crisis."

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network President Chris Hansen criticized the move for disregarding the important role of pain management for cancer survivors "who experience severe pain that limits their quality of life."

"Pain does not end when an individual completes treatment," he said in a statement. "Most often, cancer patients deal with lasting effects from their disease or treatment including pain for a significant period of time or indefinitely."

Many prescription opiates on the market are as addictive as heroin, and poorly control chronic pain, Frieden said. Doctors should use therapies other than opiates first, including exercise or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, he said.

When the benefits of prescription opiates outweigh the risks, doctors should talk to patients about their treatment goals and when they will stop using the drugs. Due to a high risk of overdose, physicians should avoid prescribing opiates at the same time as benzodiazepines, such as anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax.

Doctors also should prescribe immediate- release opiates, rather than extended-relief tablets that are more likely to be abused.


Opinion

So what the CDC is telling me is if I'm in a situation and am in acute pain, he may prescribe "a low dose" pk... Or not... Forcing me to look elsewhere(the street)...

So in so many words, non-controled self medication is much bettter than a qualified doctor monitering my condition?

This is troubling new to say the least....

Ice

So, they are sending more and more pain patients to the streets. IOP 's should stay very busy....

From what I gather, most of the damage from overdose is caused by acetaminophen!?
Liver damage/ failure!
These (FDA/CDC) people use the same mentality a dog uses when he bites at the firecrackers rather than simply mauling the awnery human to death!

50 yrs ago our handlers were chewing up quick release morphine tabs and waging war on them pot smoking hippys, lol.


Won't be long and they will just prescribe one 40 cal bullet taken orally.

These people are morons.

There is no viable health care in NY.

Wait until you govt officials experience chronic pain from fighting diseases for years. And, the chronic anxiety that so often accompanies it. You would not allow yourself to attempt exercise to be the only way to deal with the after effects of a cancer battle, or the autoimmunes. Shame on u. You just feel that we are the Disposable People.

Bah.

The hypocrites in govt would be the first ones to demand opiates and other drugs if they had pain. Its just everyone else who is supposed to bite the bullet and do without.

abso friggin lutely, grandote. This is pure Balderdash.

If they really wanted to stop the opiate abuse they would ban all manufacturers from producing them and any doctor writing a script. They would "just say no" and fine them or throw them in jail. They don't want to stop it, they just want to make a huge deal out of it the same way they did with weed or amphetamines. Then make them legal for other purposes. Like amphetimes are used for ADD and ADHD and even weight loss for obesity. They will do the same with opiates, except they will only be perscribed for cancer patients or for sex addictions (apparently it lowers your libido) Maybe if they started actually listening to patients, to those in pain and trying to solve the problems from pain, whether that's pain from medical conditions or pain associated with addiction and depression, maybe they would get somewhere and have better results. But they do not listen, most do not care as long as they are being paid. Why solve the problem and stop a paycheck. Doctors can't get paid if there are no sick patients. So as long as people are in pain, suffering from unknown symptoms or addicted to drugs they still have money rolling in and that money is never enough. New patients do not secure an income, as much as a steady reoccurring income/ patient will. I am tired of seeing people suffer, they say now it takes a minimum of 10 years to diagnose someone. 10 years how many visits is that. How much money have you spent over 10 years for the doctors to most the time come to the same conclusion you did years before? Probably a whole hell of a lot. Not that everyone's situation is the same and that's the point. Listen, quit stereotyping people to addicts, hypochondriacs or lairs. Try therapy first, get a couple years of pay checks then try something else finally when the patients can't take it or threatens to stop coming on offer them what they want (NEED) to keep them in the door.
The problem isn't addiction, the problem is people who abuse. It doesn't matter what it is, if your gonna be irresponsible that's your own fault. People can be addicted to anything and everything, it all depends on the person. They outlawed XL drinks or something in NY because of the sugar, can't remember the exact story, which was the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's not gonna stop people from drinking 48oz of Pepsi a day, they just have to drink from 24 cans instead of one Big Gulp from 7-11. Same with opiates, the more scheduled it is, the more money they can make....
That was a long post sorry. LoL just infuriates me when I hear BS like this when there are so many suffering everyday, I am not one of them, but know many who are...

Nobody can legislate stupidity outta humans... They cannot stop the "underground" now, so all this does is create a new set of "criminals" outta law abiding folks that need help with sever problems from various pain producing events in our perfect world...

Anybody hurting enough, WILL seek out relief by any means they have to... The only thing this educated desion does is stop the average person, in pain, from getting a consistant dose of medication, in a controled enviroment and push them to aquiring other sources of in-consistant doses in a "non-contoled" environment...

And they say this will help with addiction and OD's.... Really... I fail to see that happening...

Ice