Pain management, palliative care, and substance abuse.

摘要

In the last issue of this journal, my editorial entitled "Opioid Overdose Deaths: Reactions and Overreac-tions" (1) began as follows. The increase in morbidity and mortality from misuse, overuse, and diversion of prescribed opioid analgesics in recent years has become a public health problem. But the undertreat-ment of pan in has long been a public health concern-some would say a public health crisis. Numerous appropriate reactions to the increase have come in the form of guidelines and governmental initiatives including FDA-mandated Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) and state prescription monitoring programs (PMPs). This.journal has recognized the threat to public health from misuse of opioids and has attempted to maintain a balanced approach to this issue.