A number of bills have been passed that aim to address the aforementioned points, which should prove to be effective. Legislation is designed to: increase access to treatment, make it easier to acquire naloxone, encourage responsible prescribing and the use of prescription monitoring programs (PDMPs). It goes without saying that prescription opioids will need to be relied upon in certain situations, but both doctors and patients have become far too reliant on them—using opioids when alternatives could have been utilized. There are a number of methods that can be used to treat moderate and mild pain, such as:
- Yoga
- Massage
- Meditation
- Acupuncture
Let’s face it, people want instant relief from even the mildest pain—making painkillers the ideal option among most patients, according to the article. On top of that, it's easier for doctors to write a ‘script’ rather than brainstorm and troubleshoot which pain management alternative will work best.
This year, the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) issued new guidelines for the use of prescription opioids. The agency called for the use of opioid analgesics only as a last resort, exhausting alternative treatments first.