Opioid Epidemic

Chronic Pain is a Growing Problem Across the Globe Chronic pain continues to grow into a serious public health concern in industrialized countries.1 In the United States alone, Americans consume “80% of the world’s supply of prescription opioid analgesics (POAs), and opioid prescriptions have climbed by 300% since 1991.”2 Opioids are a class of drugs, which include morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and heroin. They are effective in the short-term treatment of acute pain, but carry significant risks of dependence, abuse, and […]