CDC issues guidelines to curb painkiller prescribing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its first ever guidelines Tuesday for physicians who prescribe powerful painkillers, such as OxyContin, for patients with chronic pain.

In the new recommendations, the CDC advises doctors to avoid opioids for most chronic pain and to prescribe the lowest dose possible when such drugs are necessary. The new recommendations exclude cancer patients and end-of-life pain control for people suffering from terminal illnesses.

The guidelines are a response to an epidemic of overdose deaths that CDC says is fueled by increased prescribing of the drugs. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 4.3 million people regularly abuse prescription painkillers.