PREVENTION
Prevention is the option most likely to succeed at truly reducing the rates of opioid addiction in the community, because addiction is a disease and, once contracted, not one that can be easily cured. We need to work to make sure that patients are never in a situation where they would be able to abuse opioids or become addicted.
NON-OPIOID TREATMENTS
Opioids should be treated as a last resort. Therapy and less aggressive painkillers are always an option, and should be tried first whenever possible.
PRESCRIBING FEWER OPIOIDS
When opioids are needed for pain that is truly unresponsive to any other course of treatment, doctors should be prescribing fewer opioids with each prescription. Because opioid addiction is dependent on the patient having the opportunity to abuse the pills, by prescribing fewer opioids at a time, it would reduce the likelihood of addiction.
CONSIDERING THE PATIENTS
Doctors must consider whether opioids are right for a specific patient. Family history and previous evidence of abuse of substances must be considered. Because each person is unique, each course of treatment must be unique.