Dramatic Shifts in First-time Opioid Prescriptions Bring Hope, Concern
Harvard Medical SchoolAnalysis shows the monthly rate of first-time opioid prescriptions dropped by more than half between 2012 and 2017. Though some physicians wrote no new prescriptions at all, others continued to prescribe dosages and durations that put patients at risk for misuse, overdose and death. Findings underscore importance of nuanced, individualized prescribing over all-or-nothing approach.