New CDC Opioid Guidelines: Too Little, Too Late for Chronic Pain Patients?

March 15, 2023

(Kaiser Health News) – Born of an effort to fight the nation’s overdose crisis, the guidance led to legal restrictions on doctors’ ability to prescribe painkillers. The recommendations left many patients grappling with the mental and physical health consequences of rapid dose tapering or abruptly stopping medication they’d been taking for years, which carries risks of withdrawal, depression, anxiety, and even suicide. In November, the agency released new guidelines, encouraging physicians to focus on the individual needs of patients. (Read More)