CDC says crackdown on opioid prescriptions has fueled illicit drug use and hurt some patients in need

See Doctors Should Prescribe Opioids for People in Pain, CDC Says by Julie Wernau of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Federal officials said inflexible rules around the prescription of opioids have harmed some patients, urging doctors to exercise compassion in alleviating pain.

In an update to opioid-prescription guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that a crackdown on opioid prescriptions to address rampant abuse had led to some patients being deprived of medicines they needed.

The problem has exacerbated disparities in care, the CDC said. Black patients receiving prescription opioids are less likely to be referred to a pain specialist than white patients and are more likely to receive lower doses of medication for their pain, the CDC said. Disparities in access to treatment are driving up overdose rates among Black and Native American people as drug deaths reach record highs across the country, the CDC has said."

"crackdowns on prescription opioids led to prescriptions outside hospitals falling 44% in the eight years to 2020"

"patients cut off from prescriptions turned to the illicit market where potent bootleg fentanyl has taken over much of the heroin and pill trade. Opioid overdose deaths nearly tripled in that time span and moved even higher in 2021."

"The CDC said in the first update to its opioid guidelines since 2016 that doctors shouldn’t abruptly stop prescriptions for patients on high opioid doses in particular and should ensure they are receiving appropriate care."

"Rigid dosage thresholds and limits on duration of use by insurers and pharmacies have also hurt patients"

"Patients who have been taking opioids for a long time might require several months or years to be weaned off them"

"For some patients, managing opioid use, rather than ending it, may be less harmful"