substance abuse treatment practices.
Research shows that over-the-counter pain relievers, such as Ibuprofen, are the best option for critical pain levels and should be prioritized by emergency-room physicians over medications that are proven to be associated with the development of substance use disorders.
She added that the alarming numbers of cases of substance abuse and of people lacking access to addiction treatment center services could be reduced if the majority of patients didn’t expect to get an opioid prescription whenever they need.
However, she highlighted that most people who go see a doctor for pain management expect to be prescribed such addictive medications “because in large part they will.”
