Taking the Pain out of Prescribing Opioids: CDC revises its guidelines in the wake of confusion, overreaction.

The article informs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidelines in 2022 to help physicians prescribe opioids safely, aiming to correct confusion caused by its 2016 guidelines. The 2016 guidelines were misinterpreted and misused, resulting in arbitrary cutbacks on opioid prescriptions and access to pain medication, leading to patient harm including untreated pain, withdrawal symptoms, overdose, and suicidal ideation and behavior.