Is it really just because of the fentanyl situation? I know there is a huge disagreement with how the strict rules for prescribing opioids are so tight even for chronic pain patients like myself who can’t participate in life without em struggle to find a provider who is willing to prescribe us them.
The addiction rate among pain patients is low, but those patients may still be over prescribed and sell the excess. That said, I hate how controlled they are. I don’t abuse or sell and it’s a constant fight with my doctors to prescribe anything for kidney stone pain, which I get several of a year.
In my country you just tell the doc that you want opioids and you get them. What’s funny despite of that there is literally no problem with opioid addictions. It must be combination of other factors like poverty and lack of education etc. that combined with opioids cause the problem.