Biomed Radio - Washington University School Of Medicine In St. Louis

There is news almost every day about the epidemic of opioid drug use in the United States. Some 65 percent of heroin users report that they used prescription opioids first and then made the switch to heroin. And current estimates are that 4-20 percent of all opioid pills prescribed in the United States actually are taken for nonmedical reasons. Now, an anesthesiologist and a surgeon at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are proposing ways to reduce the availability of opioid drugs by eliminating some of them from the pipeline. Among other things, they’re proposing that doctors prescribe fewer pills for patients after they undergo surgery and that pharmaceutical companies initiate turn-in programs for unused opioids. RELATED FEATURE: Inside an epidemic: Overcoming America’s opioid crisis starts with understanding abuse patterns THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION IS RECOMMENDING THAT DOCTORS TRY TO AVOID PRESCRIBING OPIOID PAINKILLERS FOR MANY PATIENTS, AND NOW EXPERTS