A review of 148 studies involving over 4.3 million chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioids found that nearly one in ten patients experiences opioid dependence or use disorder, and almost one in three shows symptoms of dependence. This study contradicts claims by pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma that less than 1% of patients face problems with opioids. The study categorized problematic opioid use into four categories and found that the prevalence ranged from 9.3% to 29.6% among patients. Lead researcher Kyla Thomas suggests that a more accurate estimate of opioid misuse is needed to develop effective interventions and manage the issue.
Source link
Prescription painkiller misuse and addiction are widespread in chronic pain patients
