Tackling the US pain epidemic

June 1, 2012

With consumption of painkillers soaring in the United States, policy-makers have noticed worrying trends in how the nation handles pain. In 2008, around 14,800 people died from overdosing on prescribed painkillers, often opioids based on natural resins in the opium poppy. At the same time, fewer than half of the 100 million Americans living with chronic pain are able to get adequate relief, even from strong opioid drugs like Oxycontin. (Nature News)