In response to the growing amount of opioid overdoses in the last decade, health officials have placed stronger restrictions on access to the drugs, posing a problem to the large elderly population that relies on opioids for chronic pain relief, according to The New York Times.
The CDC introduced a new set of recommended opioid guidelines in March that calls for physicians to suggest different medications or nonpharmacological alternatives to patients, such as exercise, weight loss, cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, tai chi or yoga.
In addition to CDC guidelines calling for more careful monitoring, an abundance of state laws further restrict access to opioids. In 2014, the DEA also reclassified certain opioid formulations, limiting their availability.
While older patients are more prone to chronic pain, they are also more likely to suffer adverse effects from opioids as their bodies cannot metabolize drugs as well as a younger patient, causing the medication to stay in their system longer.
These new restrictions cause physicians to weigh the benefit of pain relief against the threat of the habituating drugs.
For now, elderly patients can still get opioids. The drug will just come with more questions, more discussion about alternatives and fewer pills to take home.
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