By Dr. Jeffrey Grolig.
“The irrational fear of opioids, opiophobia, has plagued our country before. Prior to 2000, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, opiophobia ruled the medical community. Physicians and pharmacists alike reserved opioids for only cancer and surgery. The fear was that opioids used for more than a short time would cause overdose, death and addiction. The War on Drugs from the Nixon era caused non-opiophobic doctors to be targeted, arrested and disciplined.
But then Dr. Russell Portenoy conducted research showing that chronic pain patients actually did well on these opioids, achieving an excellent quality of life with vanishingly few developing problems. Study after study was published supporting this viewpoint. Dr. David Fishbain found that opioids prescribed to non-addicts rarely resulted in addiction.
But then Dr. Russell Portenoy conducted research showing that chronic pain patients actually did well on these opioids, achieving an excellent quality of life with vanishingly few developing problems. Study after study was published supporting this viewpoint. Dr. David Fishbain found that opioids prescribed to non-addicts rarely resulted in addiction.”
http://nationalpainreport.com/opiophobia-the-irrational-fear-of-opioids-8838398.html
The War On Chronic Pain Patients 