Why are opioid medications prescribed in large quantities and high frequency when there is little or no proven efficacy for their therapeutic value? Why are opioids the most commonly prescribed medication in the United States when their adverse consequences continue to grow? Why does the medical profession continue to prescribe opioid medications that result in increased pain and increased disability? This article summarizes the inherent addictive pharmacologic properties that are the impetus and basis for America's current opioid epidemic.
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