This is a massive topic that has began to spread. Here is the UK we are trying to get a handle on it, though the start was a bit different. Opioid drugs became licensed for use for cancer pains and were able to be prescribed.for GPs. Overtime they began to be prescribed for other pains as well and as a result many patients got put on them for pains that thy wouldn't die from.

Unfortunately one issue is the opiod addiction that resulted, but actually, two other issues compound the problem massively.

Firstly over time patients develop tolerance. That is, the body essentially gets used to the opioid dose and needs more to have he same effect. What may have started with a pain needing 30mg of codeine a couple of times a day can progress over years to the same person needing 120 mg of morphine a day. GPs just kept raising he dose because that was often a.quicker/easier action than tackling the root problem. Chronic pain clinics are underfunded, have huge waiting lists and any success from them can take.weeks/months etc from the patient's initial consultation,.compared to a 15 second.raise in.the prescription dose.

Secondly, some.patients can develop opioid induced hyperalgesia. The pain pathways alter and thr opioid itself.can stimulate it causing pain. The patient is already.addicted to the drug and at this point the pain is chronic, so explaining that they need to reduce the dose is often met with refusal and disbelief (understandably).

Opioid can be very useful in the short term but long term they can be terrible.