Prince death throws spotlight on addictive painkillers

Pain management is an important part of health care and the healing process, but painkillers that were hailed as effective and non-addictive only a few years ago have helped fuel a new opioid and heroin epidemic.

The death of entertainer Prince, ruled to be as a result of an overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, a concentrated opioid, has thrown the spotlight on a growing problem.

But Prince is only the latest celebrity with an addiction to prescription painkillers.

Others, with various amounts of success in battling the addiction, include names like Nicole Richie, Winona Ryder, Matthew Perry, Kelly and Jack Osbourne, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eminem, Courtney Love, Charlie Sheen, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Cindy McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Chevy Chase and Elvis Presley.

Overdose deaths from opioid painkillers and heroin jumped 14 percent in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

From 2000 to 2014, almost half a million Americans died from overdoses involving such drugs.

Oxycodone and hydrocodone, which cause reactions similar to heroin when they reach the brain, were involved in more overdose deaths than any other type of drug, increasing by 9 percent.

Once people are addicted to opioids, it's a short hop to heroin, which has become available for about one-fifth of the price as prescription opioids.

Nearly three in every 1,000 Americans said they used heroin in the previous year, 62 percent over a previous survey 10 years ago.

There's no doubt opiate painkillers are a powerful tool for pain relief when they are really needed, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they do more harm than good.

"We know of no other medication routinely used for a nonfatal condition that kills patients so frequently," said CDC director Thomas Friedan. "We hope to see fewer deaths from opiates. That's the bottom line. These are really dangerous medications that carry the risk of addiction and death."

The CDC's recommendation carries no legal weight, but they now urge they be avoided for long-term pain except in the case of cancer treatment or end-of-life care.

When they do need to be used in other situations, the CDC recommends doctors prescribe the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time.

No one enjoys experiencing more pain than necessary, but before accepting a prescription for a highly addictive drug, discuss alternatives with your healthcare provider.