Here are five takeaways:
1. The survey found physicians routinely prescribed the drugs for inappropriate conditions including dental and lower back pain.
2. The National Safety Council found physicians often overlooked non-addictive medications, which some research has found to be more effective at combating pain.
3. Nearly 20 percent of physicians reported prescribing the pill for 30 days.
4. Many physicians reported prescribing opioids for conditions that many medical organizations deemed inappropriate such as headaches, fibromyalgia or lower back pain.
5. Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine’s Deborah Clements, MD, chair of family and community medicine, critiqued the survey, saying it polled an insufficient number of primary care physicians.
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