Due to insufficient scientific evidence on effectiveness, physicians should not be prescribing high-dose opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, according to an Archives of Internal Medicine editorial.
Three internists writing the editorial said pain physicians should let patients know about the limits of pain relief and recommend alternatives like physical therapy or yoga rather than prescribe these dangerous drugs.
The authors said 15-20 percent of patient visits with U.S. physicians include a prescription for an opioid, and the number of U.S. overdose deaths from use of such prescriptions is higher than heroin and cocaine combined.
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