STAT: Misguided federal regulations are likely to cause more pain in people already living with it

Hidden in the shadows of the Covid-19 pandemic is the U.S.’s drug epidemic, which is getting worse. One group that is paying the price for it, but shouldn’t be, are people who live with chronic pain conditions.

The opioid epidemic was initially fueled by the misuse of prescription opioids that were often obtained illegally. In recent years, though, the majority of overdose deaths have been caused by illegal or “street” drugs such as illicit fentanyl and its analogs, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines.

About a decade ago, in an effort to address the increase in opioid-related overdose deaths, government agencies at both the state and federal levels clamped down on prescription opioids in a misguided effort to tackle the crisis. The result? Numerous pain patients who were legitimate users of opioids were forced to stop taking these effective painkillers and left to fend for themselves. As a result, some of them turned to the black market, leading to far more overdose deaths.

Continue reading on STAT.

---