“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 federal health agency released the dozen opioid prescription guidelines in the journal JAMA. They will not have the power of law but will guide insurance company recommendations to doctors and Veterans Administration prescriptions for retired military patients, with the aim of curbing dangerous prescribing practices. “Almost all opioids on the market are just as addictive as heroin,” Frieden said.
The guidelines do not address prescriptions for cancer patients or those in hospice care, Frieden said, but would apply to those suffering from work injuries, car crashes, or other causes of long-term pain.
The guidelines are based on three principles. First, opioids should be a last option for these patients, with aspirin-related drugs and exercise preferred. Second, when given, doses should start out low and only increase slowly. Third, patients should be monitored and a plan for getting them off the drugs should start with their prescription. The guidelines also call for getting naloxone, a drug used to counteract overdoses, into the hands of more doctors, nurses, police, and emergency personnel.