Guidelines such as those written by the CDC and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health hope to reduce the availability of prescription opioids as one solution to combat the epidemic. Instead of opioid medication for pain management, these guidelines recommend that providers offer non-pharmacological treatment such as physical and behavioral therapies. Unfortunately, most people cannot access these treatments or are unaware how they can help — both concerns that likely contributed to the opioid crisis in the first place.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/opioid-crisis-chronic-pain-insurance-coverage-20190111.html
By Amy Janke
The Collected Works of Jim Garrow 