The CDC released on March 15th new guidelines that advise strict limits on the prescription of opioids for pain. These guidelines respond to a stunning increase in deaths and addiction related to the prescription of opioids like OxyContin and Percocet. The CDC recommended against providing patients more than a seven-day supply of opioids for acute pain and to avoid prescribing high doses of these medications whenever possible. President Obama has also requested $1.1 billion in funding for medication-assisted treatment, overdose reversal with naloxone, and other measures to fight this epidemic.
