LAS VEGAS—It is imperative that the United States finds more effective ways to deal with the growing availability and utilization of opiates and other drugs for pain that is compassionate and grounded in medicine rather than criminalizing such use, said Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD, founder and Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York City-based nonprofit organization,

Nearly 75% of physicians believe that state prescription drug monitoring programs have led to a reduction in the prescribing of opioids, according to results of a survey published in the journal Medical Affairs.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health surveyed 420 practicing primary care physicians in the nationally-representative mail survey to assess physician awareness and use of,

Pain management drugs have been on the market for many years and consist of a variety of drug classes including benzodiazepines and opiates (both synthetic and semi-synthetic). In recent years, prescriptions for various pain medications have risen dramatically. For instance, in 2011, the opiate hydrocodone was the most prescribed drug in America.1Pain clinics, sometimes referred to as “pill mills,” have made it easier to obtain these medications because they are able to both prescribe and fulfill medications.