Opiophobia: Misinformation, Misconceptions, Misrepresentations, Perspectives, and Consequences

A continuing narrative regarding the opioid epidemic is that even short-term (7 days or less) use of opioids under medical supervision to treat acute pain will often lead to opioid use disorder (OUD) and/or addiction. It is also believed by some that the best way to address this perceived problem is to avoid using opioids altogether or to severely limit the use of prescription opioids, especially after surgery. It is further believed by some that severely limiting the number of prescriptions will greatly reduce the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses occurring as a consequence of the opioid epidemic. There is, however, substantial evidence that this is not the case. This review/commentary explores this evidence in the context of organizations, researchers, and clinicians that strive to further drastically decrease or eliminate the use of prescription opioids.