Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Safe’ Painkiller Prescription?

Overuse of prescription opioid painkillers has contributed to an alarming spike in opiate addiction. Opioid painkiller prescriptions have quadrupled since 2000. America consumes more opioids than any other country. A few common prescriptions include:

• Oxycontin
• Percocet
• Percodan
• Hydrocodone (Vicodin and others)

In addition, addiction to opiates has been declared a public health crisis. The President is working with various agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness of the issue. One focus is to improve access to addiction treatment programs and establish safer guidelines for prescribing these medications. The CDC recently issued new painkiller dosing guidelines. Also, these were designed to help reduce and manage addiction risks. This infographic illustrates the importance of dose and length of treatment in combating the opioid epidemic. It also illustrates how small prescriptions can potentially cause big problems.