Opioid prescriptions that are given to ER patients are less likely to result in potentially-fatal drug addictions, a new study has found.
The study by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) found that prescriptions for opioids that last longer than seven days are distributed in ER settings 91 percent less frequently than they are outside of these departments.
The researchers concluded that prescriptions from ERs are usually for lower doses of painkillers and that ER doctors are more likely to follow the CDC’s recommended guidelines for prescribing.
The analysis highlights evidence that emergency room doctors are prescribing highly addictive painkillers more responsibly than medical professionals outside ER department settings, thus limiting the beginnings of deadly, lifelong addictions.
The news comes at a time when public health officials are struggling to control the growing opioid crisis and urging doctors to exhaust every option possible before prescribing the drugs.
