Is it really just because of the fentanyl situation? I know there is a huge disagreement with how the strict rules for prescribing opioids are so tight even for chronic pain patients like myself who can’t participate in life without em struggle to find a provider who is willing to prescribe us them.
It may be low, but it’s still thousands. I had knee surgery last year and didn’t take opiates because I’m at higher risk for addiction.
Try millions, honestly. Overprescription of painkillers has been cut down, but it still happens incredibly often.
I went to the doctor for the flu earlier this year, and ended up walking away with a prescription for 500ml of codeine cough syrup. The dosage was 20ml a day, and the doctor who wrote it said I’d probably be sick for another 2-3 days. Now, I’m not the best at math but those numbers don’t add up!
Does overprescription just mean prescribed for people who don’t actually need it? And how would we know they don’t have the pain?
Overprescription also describes issuing far larger quantities to people than what they need.
“to prescribe (medication) unnecessarily or to excess.” is what comes up when I search the definition.
A large percentage of opiate addicts are people who got handed way too much after some injury, and kept taking them after they healed.
I haven’t had any opioid since my last surgery several years ago but if I’m terminal I better hope they won’t restrict them to me. What a horrible death…